Crewchief Ramon Forcada on his first impressions of Andrea Dovizioso – The Italian works very analytically – Whether he can win again is hard to say
Ramon Forcada is one of the most successful and best crew chiefs in the MotoGP paddock. After the victories and world championship titles with Jorge Lorenzo, the collaboration with Maverick Vinales did not work out. But as crew chief of Franco Morbidelli, it went back to success. The Italian was runner-up in the 2020 World Championship with the Petronas-Yamaha team.
There was a good mutual understanding and cooperation between Morbidelli and Forcada. It seemed as if a very powerful team had been formed. But the story took a different turn.
After the Sachsenring, Morbidelli decided to have knee surgery. Forcada subsequently looked after replacement riders Garret Gerloff, Jake Dixon and Cal Crutchlow. “We had the same bike as last year, while the other bikes got better. “
“Then there were the physical problems as well as several riders,” Forcada told the Spanish edition of ‘Motorsport.com’. Eventually, there was a split between Vinales and Yamaha. Morbidelli’s comeback at Misano saw him transferred to the Yamaha factory team.
Morbidelli’s place in the Yamaha satellite team was eventually taken by Andrea Dovizioso. Originally, many had assumed that Forcada would move back to the factory team in the winter and work with Morbidelli again. But that is not the case.
Morbidelli will have a new crew chief in Patrick Primmer from 2022. Forcada will stay in the satellite team RNF and will try to get back on track with Dovizioso. “Dovi” will receive the same M1 specification as the factory team.
Forcada’s assessment of Dovizioso
Five races Dovizioso and the crew around Forcada have contested together. “He knows what he needs to be fast,” Forcada says. “But he struggles because the Yamaha is a completely different bike. Already in 2020 it was difficult for him with the new Michelin tyre. “
“With us he has a new bike. It’s difficult for him, just like it was for Franco in his first year with the team. It’s just difficult for everyone when you change bikes. The characteristics are completely different and you have to understand how to ride.”
“Dovizioso works hard and is very detail-oriented – it’s a bit like the Ducati philosophy. Details are important to be fast. Today you don’t have to find two seconds, but a few tenths of a second is already an important step forward. “
And now how does Dovizioso fit in with the current Yamaha philosophy? “The best bike does not exist. But Dovizioso fits into this concept, he is dedicated to the details,” Forcada finds. “He works very methodically and always wants clarity.”
“He wants to know exactly where he loses and where he gains. And he also wants to know what he has to do in order not to lose anything. He spends many hours studying data and making comparisons. He is always looking for the way forward. “
Can Dovizioso challenge for the World Championship title?
On 23 March Dovizioso will be 36 years old. He is the oldest rider in the field. His contract with Yamaha runs until the end of the season. Will he be able to win races again? Can he help Yamaha with further development?
“For any brand it’s good to have a rider with a lot of experience coming from another brand,” Forcada holds. “That always helps you. Even if he had gone to Honda or Suzuki, he would have helped there. “
Dovizioso has left the sabbatical because he wants to reach for the world championship title once again with Yamaha. Can he succeed in doing so? “I don’t know if he can do it because we haven’t tested the 2022 factory bike yet,” says Forcada.
“Yes, we will have an official factory bike. But nobody knows what this bike will be like. At the Jerez test we tested a first prototype. I don’t know if that will be the final version. It also depends on what the other teams do.”
“Dovizioso will make a step forward with the 2022 bike, but it would be a mistake to think that the new bike will solve all the problems,” Forcada holds. “We have to keep working hard.” With Darryn Binder, the second RNF rider is a rookie.
