Dovizioso bowled over by India’s MotoGP™ support

Ahead of the PTT Thailand Grand Prix, Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso took a pit stop to pay his first visit to India and the Buddh International Circuit.

Speaking at the event to both the Indian Express and Mail Today, Dovizioso was both pleasantly surprised and impressed by the amount of support MotoGP™ has in India. “Usually, when I land in a European country, I can’t walk two seconds without people asking for autographs or selfies. This was a new experience and I must admit I really enjoyed it,” said the Italian to the Indian Express, talking about his arrival in the country.

However, that changed when the former 125cc World Champion arrived trackside at the Buddh International Circuit. “Since there is no Indian racer I did not have much clue about the racing scene here. But I was surprised to see so many fans. I guess social media plays a huge role nowadays in popularising a sport even in far-off places.”

Speaking to Mail Today, Dovizioso touches on the pressure that comes with being a Ducati rider in regards to fighting and winning the MotoGP™ World Championship. “Ducati is always expected to bid for the title, that’s why there’s always a lot of pressure because the Italian fans are a bit crazy and want their team to win, which is not always possible.

“I try to stay away from all that. The track seems interesting over here as it is quite big and has long straights. I wanted to ride a lap but I am racing next weekend and training now.”

Dovizioso’s next task? To stop Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) from winning the 2019 title in Thailand.

Photo credit: Surya Chaturvedi