Few predicted that Andrea Dovizioso would take the Mo🍸toGP ♔title fight down to the final round in 2017.

But the Italian's stunning season means he will be high on his rivals' r🐻adar from the very start o🐼f next season.

"I think it's only positive," the Ducati rider said of the increased expectation. "Beca🅘use now we have the feeling that we can do it.

"Otherwise, not a lot will change next year, because there will not be many changes w꧅ith teams, riders and rul༒es.

"So I think we can start ဣnext season very similar to the way we finished 2017.

"Just I think that the competitors will look a𓃲t us in a littl🌞e bit of a different way than at the beginning of this season…"

Part of the reason for Dov🧜izios🦩o and Ducati slipping under the radar was down to relatively low-key performances in winter testing.

But the Italian feels having the calmness and discipline to look beyond a one-off lap time pays dividends o🔴nce the rac꧒ing starts.

"Ever🤡y weekend the gap from the rider in 1st and the rider in 15th position is very small♒," he said.

"That makes a difference also in the way you test. Because in the tests you can see a lot of fast riders, but in the ꧙races it is always the same riders in the front, more or less.

"Because there♏ is aಞ way to make a test, which is without taking a lot of risks and trying to understand all the pieces you try.

"It's not ea♛sy because sometimes you see a lot of riders are fast in a test, so you can feel 'it’s not the best day for me'.

"But you have to stay calm and continue to work in your box, because the details will ma🏅ke a difference in the race weekend."

The first official MotoGP test of 2018 takes place at Sepang from January 28-30, when Dovizioso and team-mate Jorge ✃Lore♌nzo are expected to debut the GP18 Ducati.