Several Italian media sources (Sportmediaset, Gazzetta dello Sport) are reporting that Andrea Dovizioso has decided to accept the ‘red challenge’and will replace Valentino Rossi in Ducati for the next two seasons and the announcement will be made during next weekend’s Indianapolis GP.
However, before signing Dovi demanded assurances that the arrival of Ducati’s owner new Audi, will actually bring some important and faster changes in regards to development and that he won’t end up as his previous two Italian predecessors in the team.
While Dovizioso isn’t known to the majority of fans as a development rider, he was highly considered during his years in Honda as being fundamental in improving the RC212V, even if Honda had eyes only for Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner.
How did Dovizioso end up being on Ducati’s radar after it seemed that Cal Crutchlow was a shoe-in if Rossi decided to leave? Apparently it was Vittoriano Guareschi’s idea to have another veteran MotoGP rider who not only is fast, but is also a seriously hard worker, rational and constant in his results and very rarely makes mistakes and more importantly doesn’t publicly complain and it seems that he could get some extra help as Casey Stoner’s pit crew who will be out of job at the end of the season when the Australian retires (Marc Marquez wants to bring his Moto2 crew with him in MotoGP) could be returning to Ducati.
Dovizoso knows that he won’t be winning races right off with the Italian manufacturer next season, but he’ll have that extra motivation to try to podium and beat Valentino Rossi’s very dismal two years in Ducati.