Dovizioso won't return "at all costs" to MotoGP
Andrea Dovizioso says he will not return to MotoGP “at all costs”, but remains open to the possibility of acting as a replacement for Marc Marquez at Honda in 2021.
After losing his factory Ducati seat and failing to secure a test rider option which ensured a 2022 return, Dovizioso has opted for a sabbatical in 2021.
With six-time MotoGP world champion Marquez expected to still be sidelined for some time following a third operation on the right arm he broke at Jerez last July, Dovizioso has been linked with a potential Honda return to potentially deputise for the injure Spaniard.
Dovizioso’s manager Simone Battistella told Sky Italy last week his rider is “ready” to spring into action should Honda need.
The 15-time MotoGP race winner admits he would listen to any proposal from Honda, but returning to the premier class grid in 2021 is not a high priority.
“I’m open, but at the moment I’m not looking for a place to return to at all costs,” Dovizioso told Sky Italy. “I am only interested in projects of a certain type, so if there is a possibility of returning to MotoGP in 2021 or 2022 I will be the first to be happy to talk about it.
“Otherwise, there is no problem.”
When pressed on if he would ride in the Qatar pre-season test next month should Honda ask, he added: “It depends on what they [Honda] propose, it’s not a simple call.
“There has to be a project, a desire to try it together. If there must be such an idea, maybe it emerges by 2022, I will be the first to be happy.
“I’m used to doing things well, so if there is the intention and the desire of both, we can talk about it. As I said, I am not just trying to race in MotoGP, otherwise I could have done it differently.”
Dovizioso made his MotoGP debut on a Honda in 2008 and joined the works squad for 2009, winning his maiden premier class race that year at Donington Park.
He would remain with the team through to the end of 2011, forming part of a three-rider factory set-up including Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa.
Dorna Sports’ CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta recently ruled out the possibility of Honda fielding three Repsol team bikes in 2022 for Pol Espargaro, Marquez and Dovizioso – with three-rider factory teams having been outlawed since 2012.
Related video
Previous article
How MotoGP’s COVID protocols will work in Qatar
Next article
Honda to remain in MotoGP for five more years
About this article
| Series | MotoGP |
| Drivers | Andrea Dovizioso |
| Author | Lewis Duncan |
Mandalika Circuit update
MotoGP Starting Grid: Doha Grand Prix
MotoGP Starting Grid: Qatar Grand Prix
Top 10 most successful Repsol Honda Team riders
The "pit bull" MotoGP rookie already drawing legendary comparisons
MotoGP’s 2021 rookie crop is one of the strongest in recent years, but one is already standing out. Jorge Martin’s Doha GP heroics have courted many to compare him to numerous MotoGP legends. Autosport spoke to Pramac boss Francesco Guidotti to find out why MotoGP’s latest Spanish star is already making such an impact
Why MotoGP's stewards must revisit Miller and Mir's Losail clash
Despite Suzuki’s decision not to appeal against Race Direction’s refusal to penalise Jack Miller following the incident with Joan Mir in Losail, something must be done to avoid a repeat of such an incident, which could have easily ended in tragedy
Why MotoGP’s top gun looks more dangerous at the Doha GP
Lightning hasn't struck twice for Maverick Vinales since 2017 and his wayward form of recent years makes predicting how he'll fare each MotoGP race weekend tricky. But fresh from his Qatar GP win, Vinales looks like an even more dangerous prospect for the Doha GP following an intriguing Friday practice.
Why MotoGP’s new Amazon Prime series is long overdue
OPINION: MotoGP is getting its own version of Drive to Survive on Amazon Prime at some point in the near future. It was news welcomed by the grid’s leading riders. And following the impact DTS has had on Formula 1, MotoGP desperately needs the same boost.
The key changes behind the latest 'return of the Mack'
Maverick Vinales’s authoritative victory at the MotoGP season opener came during a period of personal and professional change for the Yamaha rider. Can it be the springboard for a title challenge?
Why Lorenzo needs to ditch social media and enjoy retirement
OPINION: Jorge Lorenzo's status as one of the greatest MotoGP riders of all time is hard to dispute. But his constant social media spats with fellow riders and insistence on listing his achievements to his detractors are running the risk of tarnishing a legacy he worked hard to create.
Can leaving a factory team end Rossi’s MotoGP win drought?
It is over three-and-a-half years since the Italian national anthem rang out to declare a Valentino Rossi victory in MotoGP. To some onlookers his move out of the factory Yamaha squad meant the 2017 Dutch TT could remain his final win, but after an encouraging transition at Petronas SRT hope is far from lost
What Marquez will we get on his much-needed MotoGP return?
As Marc Marquez’s comeback draws nearer, the six-time MotoGP world champion will have the eyes of the motorsport world on him to see if his incredible speed returns instantly. How Marquez deals with this could be key to both what he and the wider grid faces in 2021
