Yamaha has announced a three-year deal with Andrea Dovizioso as its MotoGP test rider and rider performance advisor, seemingly fulfilling a major request from star rider Fabio Quartararo.
Dovizioso, who rode for satellite Yamaha teams in two different stints in his premier-class career, was brought on as a contractor test rider of sorts when Yamaha needed to fill the void created by Cal Crutchlow's injury struggles.
His role with Yamaha increasingly expanded from there, and has now been formalised into a long-term, multi-faceted contract.
Yamaha's latest MotoGP champion Quartararo said after the post-race test at Aragon earlier this month that Dovizioso was a crucial asset to himself and the project because they are "completely opposite" in terms of riding characteristics, and because Dovizioso "knows exactly what happens on the bike, and knows the details to say" to the engineers.
He said he wanted Dovizioso to be as involved as possible - not as a tester but as a technical advisor - and offered a pointed remark: "I think we're not using it [Dovizioso's know-how] enough. I think the team must give him the possibility to go more deeply into the technical side."
This is exactly what seems to be happening, with Yamaha saying Dovizioso will "play a key role in accelerating the development of Yamaha's MotoGP machine and enhancing the communication flow between Yamaha's four MotoGP riders and its engineering team".
At Mugello, Quartararo said the way his previous round at Aragon unravelled - with Yamaha chasing the electronics set-up all weekend - was an example of where Dovizioso's experience can be invaluable.
"For example, when we did Aragon, we took a lot-a lot of time to resolve one problem. And maybe on the data we put one number, but he had the experience to say 'this number is too low'. Because he has been working with many teams, he has been in MotoGP for many years.
"And he knows exactly what, when you have this feeling like I had in Aragon, that it's not small, what we need to change, it's quite big. And in Aragon we did small-small-small, we took a lot of time.
"Andrea is really clever on this area and I think he can really help us."
The news of Dovizioso’s widened role suggests Crutchlow's Yamaha tenure may be coming to an end - something already hinted at by The Race’s sources in the paddock.
Three-time MotoGP race winner Crutchlow joined the team as test rider in 2021 following his retirement from racing, but has been beset by injuries since then.
Contracted to remain with the team until the end of 2026, he hasn’t raced since the 2021 British Grand Prix - though did make a return to riding a Yamaha M1 in testing earlier this year after an absence of over a year.
