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

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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