Five minutes with Dಌu🌳cati's Andrea Dovizioso, moments after his runner-up finish in the season-opening Qatar MotoGP race.

The Italian star led during the early stages of the race and📖 secured second place after repelling a last turn attack from Honda's Marc Marquez.

Dovi crossed the finish line 2.019s from Yamahಌa race winneꦉr and reigning champion Jorge Lorenzo...

mahbx.com:
Congratulations Andrea. Did you expect to be that strong? You'𒊎ve had quite a quiet pre-season, but have seemed confident at the same tꦦime?

Andrea Dovizioso:
Yes🍰, we worked in the right way during testing and this is the confirmation. Until you make the result you don't have the confirmation, but I knew we worked in the right way and I'm so happy about that.

During the race weekend the feeling improved. Not a crazy lap time, but I saw the competitors were not so fast. I thought it was the key. I had the speed and the lap time came easy to me. I think we worked in the ri𒀰ght way and especially I'm so happy because during the race I understood something really important; how to manage the tyre, especially the front, and now we can work for the future.

mahbx.com:
You were the only one of the top four using the soft front tyre, so many peop🤡le expected you to fade...

Andrea Dovizioso:
Fortunately, we never had a problem with the front tyre. In the test and during the this weekend. So it was not a question mark. It was the rear that dropped a lot. A lot. But I think this is because of the elect෴ronics, not the tyre. Because we don't have electronics on maximum angle we slide more and spin more. Everybody. So compared to ﷽the past, the tyre has to work more during the race.

mahbx.com:
When did the tyre start to drop?

Andrea Dovizioso:
The first drop, but i✱t wasn't so big, was after ten laps. But the last five laps did a bad drop. On entry to the corners especially it was difficult to manage.

mahbx.com:
This was als🐎o your first 𒊎real chance to study the other bikes...

Andrea Dovizioso:
I'm happy to see - okay Lorenzo won, but I saw him struggling. So that is nice! An🤪d also Marc, when he overtook me [on lap 19 of 22], he was fast but didn't have everything positive and that's why I was able to fight with him.

mahbx.com:
Did you expect that 🌄move from 🅺Marc at the last corner?

Andrea Dovizioso:
Yes, 100%! [laughs] Easy!

mahbx.com:
You must be looking forward to🅺 the next rounds now...

Andrea Dovizioso:
Yes of course. But it's too early to understand, because everything can cha💫nge at each track. Especially Austin and Argentina are completely different. So we have to wait to understand our potenti🀅al more, but I think we have really good pace with the new Desmosedici...