Sport
Andrea Dovizioso is on the verge of finishing the year with Petronas Yamaha
The exits of Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viales at Yamaha and Petronas have pushed the managers of their respective structures to find solutions. Andrea Dovizioso, who is already negotiating with Sepang Racing Team to return to the paddock, is one of the most coveted riders with an open future.
Simone Battistella, the veteran’s manager, is in advanced talks with Yamaha and the satellite team to allow the Italian to return to active service this season. However, the rider’s demands may clash with Yamaha’s and the satellite team’s intentions, as the rider wants a guarantee of a spot as an official rider in 2022.
According to ‘La Gazzetta dello Sport,’ Dovizioso’s return to the Petronas M1 this year will be contingent on an agreement for him to be a full-time rider in 2022. Part of Yamaha’s and, above all, Petronas’ ambitions collide here, as both want the team to have young riders to serve as an incubator for the factory team, similar to what happened with Fabio Quartararo, which worked out well. Instead, Dovizioso will demand a factory bike to compete with Petronas until the end of the season…and the seat will be his again in 2022.
This option gathers momentum when Milan-based WithU, the Sepang Racing Squad’s new sponsor for 2022, expresses interest in having an Italian rider on the team. Marco Bezzecchi was considered, but he prefers to work with Valentino Rossi’s team, where he will be greeted with a Ducati.
Jake Dixon will race only at Silverstone, with Cal Crutchlow remaining in the official team until the end of the season. After Silverstone, Morbidelli would join Dovizioso at Petronas for the rest of this season.
One thing remains, however: Dovizioso has agreed to test the Aprilia RS-GP on August 31 and September 1 at Misano. It’s unclear where the Dovi-Aprilia alliance sits on Maverick Viales’ employment, as it was previously reported that Noale officials wanted the veteran’s services to fill the seat that would now be occupied by Viales.
For now the negotiation process between Dovizioso, Yamaha and Petronas is ongoing, and there may be news in the coming days.
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