Andrea Dovizioso sure Honda will be competitive

Italian Andrea Dovizioso is confident that Honda’s new RC212V will be competitive enough to challenge Yamaha and Ducati in the 2009 MotoGP world championship.

The former world 125 champion reckons the pneumatic valve V4 will be capable of mounting a sustained title threat this season, despite the recent dominance of Yamaha and Ducati.

The RC212V hasn’t even come close to challenging for the championship in the 800cc era, with Casey Stoner and Valentino Rossi dominating the premier class in 2007 and ’08.

Of the 36 races run in the 800cc era, Rossi and Stoner have won 29 times and Honda hasn’t won a world title since Nicky Hayden’s dramatic last round success in Valencia back in 2006.

But London-based Repsol Honda rider Dovizioso told MCN: “I think we are strong but not enough right now.

“But I am confident that we have a good base to work from. But we need to work a lot. And that is not only from Honda. I need to work on my style a bit we really need to sort out the character of the engine.

“I have asked for a smoother character engine and more stability when I brake.