Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/985130
IN THE WIND P52 DOVI STAYS AT DUCATI A ndrea Dovizioso is to stay with Ducati. This unsurprising announce- ment started the weekend at Le Mans, bringing to an end faint rumors that last year's title runner-up was flirting with Repsol Honda and Suzuki, instead, they extending their partnership until the end of 2020. Now in his sixth year, Dovi is already the longest-serv- ing Ducati MotoGP rider. He joined the factory in 2013, taking the place of Valentino Rossi, whose two years with the Italian team had been disastrous for all. "I think I and the team were in the same situation in 2013," Dovi said. "Nobody believed that I could win the World Championship, and after Valentino nobody believed in Ducati. We started from the bottom together. I know a lot about Ducati, and they know a lot about me." Negotiations were described as "difficult" by team boss Paolo Ciabatti, but only, according to the rider, "because it is difficult to make a big contract; we spoke about important things." His negotiations with other factories had been real, the rider said, because "every rider needs to be really egotistical to be fast—it's normal; so I was open to other teams," said Dovi. "It's normal to have an open mind." Michael Scott WHAT OF JORGE LORENZO? T he Dovizioso signing leaves second Ducati rider Jorge Lorenzo even more exposed, as the multi- champion struggles to come to terms with the Desmosedici. But to Lorenzo it changes nothing. "It was expected—no surprise," he said. "I am happy for Andrea and Ducati. It was the most logical thing, because he is very competitive on the bike. But it doesn't affect my position." Most problematic might be the money. His two-year sign-on fee was more than $2.3 million. Sporting director Paolo Ciabatti had already commented that he would have to accept a pay cut. After signing up Dovizioso for two more years for an undisclosed sum, certainly much closer to Lorenzo's pay than his own previ- ous $2-plus-million, that has become even more the case. "There is a big gulf," Ciabatti told Dorna at Le Mans, "be- tween his fee and our budget." As for the second seat at Pramac, that would probably go to Jack Miller, he said, with a 2019 bike. Moto2 star Pecco Bagnaia was already signed up for the team, on a 2018 Desmosedici. "That is a done deal," he said. Michael Scott Andrea Dovizios's new contract means he'll be getting a lot of the cash currently going to teammate Jorge Lorenzo. Jorge Lorenzo has been heavily linked to Suzuki for next year, but nothing has yet been confirmed.