Former Ducati star Andrea Dovizioso is eyeing up a sensational MotoGP return as he says “the door is open.”
Andrea Dovizioso has been absent from the MotoGP paddock following his retirement from the sport after the San Marino GP in 2022, and currently spends most of his time at his motocross track in Italy.
However, he would not discount a return to the premier class in the future to serve as a test rider for a manufacturer.
Dovizioso is a 15-time MotoGP race winner who battled against Marc Marquez for the world title for many years and eventually retired as a three-time championship runner-up.
The Italian stated on the official championship website that there are no plans at the moment, just as there never were when he made the decision to wrap up his career due to his intentions to stop racing.
“I don’t have any plans but it is always nice when a manufacturer calls you to speak about the future,” Dovizioso told MotoGP.com at Mugello. “This is something I had when I decided to retire but I wasn’t ready to do something because I wanted to stop and take a break.
“But I always left the door open because I’m still not too old. Everybody knows my feelings which can help develop a bike. I really don’t know at this moment, it is too early, but the door is open.”
The only question is: what manufacturer is in contact with him? Most of the teams have great test riders, and Alix Espargaró will also be on the market next season as a test rider. Undoubtedly, both Espargaró and Dovi would command high salaries as test riders, so it’d need to be a manufacturer that’s willing to spend serious money to develop its bike.
Aprilia does not seem receptive to having another test rider when they already have Lorenzo Savadori, while Ducati currently has Michele Pirro and is limited in testing possibilities due to concessions.
KTM is served by two strong riders, Dani Pedrosa and Pol Espargaró. From Honda, which currently has Stefan Bradl, there is speculation about Aleix Espargaró arriving in 2025, while Yamaha only has Cal Crutchlow.
Rumors are circulating that Pramac is edging ever closer to accepting an offer from Yamaha to supply the team with bikes for the 2025 season. But, if this offer falls through, Yamaha will have the funds to add another high-level test rider to the team, which Cal Crutchlow has been very vocal about wanting.
