MotoGP, Dovizioso: “The year with Yamaha is the only one I didn't enjoy”

Andrea Dovizioso’s MotoGP career has been characterised by a long stint at Ducati, during which he was able to battle the unbeatable Marc Marquez. But before coming to Borgo Panigale in 2013, Andrea spent a year as a Yamaha rider, aboard the Tech3 M1, a season that doesn’t conjure up particularly good memories for the Italian.

"The only year I spent at Yamaha was with a non-factory bike. But despite not getting updates during the course of the year, I was able to have a good season and be the manufacturer’s second rider”, recalls Dovizioso while talking to DAZN.

Move to factory team never came

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Andrea hoped to move to the factory Yamaha team alongside Jorge Lorenzo, but things didn’t go to plan. “Lorenzo was the first Yamaha rider in the standings and I was the second. So it would have been only natural for me to move to the factory team the following year".

Valentino Rossi’s return prevented this from happening: “The circumstances didn’t allow for it. After his two years with Ducati, Valentino decided to come back to Yamaha and Iwata welcomed him back without a moment's thought. As I’ve said, that was the only moment of my career that I didn’t enjoy, because I was unable to work”.

Dovizioso finished the 2012 season in fourth place overall, having scored 218 points.

Translated by Heather Watson

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