MotoGP, Yamaha’s moves as of Aragón: Morbidelli-official, Dovizioso-Petronas

MotoGP, Yamaha’s moves as of Aragón: Morbidelli-official, Dovizioso-Petronas

The Italo-Brazilian will be back with Quartararo as of Aragón while Dovi will take up the SRT seat left vacant as a result of Morbido moving to the Monster Energy team

 

26.08.2021 ( Aggiornata il 26.08.2021 11:44 )

The premature departure of Maverick Viñales from the Monster Energy factory team (the rider initially suspended before his contract was ultimately rescinded) has forced Yamaha to find a solution from now until the end of the season so as not to waste the positive work completed to date.

The Silverstone round sees local rider and tester Cal Crutchlow called in to ride (the Brit having already stood in for Morbidelli during the Austrian GPs), with fellow countryman Dixon (a Petronas rider in Moto2) bumbed up to the Malaysian MotoGP team to stand in for a still recovering Morbidelli.

But Crutchlow and Dixon are ‘temporary’ fixes following the Spaniard’s departure and the 2020 runner-up’s injury, with Quartararo left to battle the Ducatis, Mir and an ever-improving Marquez on his own.

Yamaha’s next moves


In the press release confirming Viñales’ contract rescission, Yamaha announced that it would ‘look for’ another rider with which to round out this season and plan the next with Morbidelli’s promotion from SRT to Monster Energy.

Cal Crutchlow could provide that “bridge” for the factory team from now until the end of the season, considering he’s the official test rider, but in the last few hours, there have been increasing rumours that Dovizioso is on the verge of returning to MotoGP and that Morbidelli is ready to climb on the factory M1, leaving his 2019 bike behind.

Sky TV claims that Morbidelli is likely to be promoted to Viñales’ vacated factory M1 bike as of the Aragón round, meaning that he would be back with former team-mate Fabio Quartararo, the duo having already shared a garage in 2019 and 2020. Morbidelli’s move, initially expected for 2022, could therefore be brought forward as a way of helping both Fabio and Yamaha itself as they aim for the triple crown of rider’s title, constructor’s title and team title.

And at the same time Petronas SRT would welcome Andrea Dovizioso alongside Valentino Rossi, for an all-Italian line-up on the Malaysian team. For Dovi, this would be a return to Yamaha satellite colours, in that he already rode the Tech3 M1 back in 2012.

Translated by Heather Watson

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