DOVIZIOSO TESTS APRILIA AMID SPECULATION
Andrea Dovizioso has turned his first ever laps on a factory Aprilia RS-GP machine at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto.
It was the first time since the season ending round at Portimao in November last year that Dovizioso had ridden a MotoGP bike.
Just a couple of races into the 2020 MotoGP season Dovizioso announced that he was departing the factory Ducati team at the end of the season, after eight years with the Bologna squad.
The Italian elected to take a sabbatical, turning down several offers from lower teams (including one from Aprilia) to return in 2021, as he wanted to fight for wins and podiums.
However, lead Aprilia rider Aleix Espargaro impressed in pre-season testing and continued this success into the opening two races by scoring two top 10 finishes, something the team has not done since 2019.
The times in testing led Dovizioso to agree to participate in a private three-day test with the small Italian manufacturer.
The 15-time MotoGP Grand Prix winner turned his first laps on board the current-spec 2021 Aprilia machine in the early hours of this morning.
The test was the first time the now 35-year-old has ridden a MotoGP bike, outside of a Ducati.
The three-day test will be used to decide on what role Dovizioso may hold in the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini fold in the future, either as a potential full-time, Wildcard or test rider.
The three-time MotoGP bridesmaid could step up to the full-time role replacing Lorenzo Savadori who was only promoted to the race seat last minute after desperate attempts to sign other riders failed.
Due to the lack of podiums in 2020 Aprilia is a concession manufacturer, meaning it is allowed to field a Wildcard at six events thus providing the perfect preparation for Dovizioso and the team leading into a full assault next year.
As Auto Action reported in the current issue, speculation and rumours continue to mount that Dovizioso will be back sooner rather than later, however his manager Simone Battistella continues to extinguish the rumours saying that they are focussed solely on 2022.
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