Andrea Dovizioso’s impending return to Yamaha MotoGP duties is available in a pivotal second for the producer’s premier-class programme – whereas its longer-term take a look at rider plans have gotten clearer.
Yamaha’s common tester Cal Crutchlow, who took up the position for 2021 after calling time on a 10-season MotoGP profession, has been unavailable to journey the M1 as a result of ongoing problems from hand surgical procedure from earlier on this yr.
Yamaha, as a ‘Rank D’ producer below the brand new concession standing, is entitled to 6 wildcards in a season, and three have been deliberate for Crutchlow – however he needed to pull out of the Mugello race in Could and was changed by World Superbike rider Remy Gardner at Silverstone.
The primary Misano race in early September had been earmarked as his third look, however Crutchlow’s continued absence casts doubt on that – and maybe suggests Dovizioso could possibly be in line to run the race as a substitute. Including additional credence to that idea is the very fact Gardner has a World Superbike conflict for each of MotoGP’s Misano weekends.
The 38-year-old Dovizioso first dropped off the MotoGP grid in 2020, after which retired for good after a short, largely uncompetitive return with the now-defunct RNF Yamaha crew.
He has been an energetic motocross rider post-retirement – and had a foul crash in April of this yr, which required him to be airlifted to the hospital and left him with fractures to his ribs, vertebrae, sternum and proper clavicle amongst different accidents.
4 months later, he’ll be part of up with Yamaha’s take a look at crew to run in a two-day non-public take a look at at Misano on August 20-21 – with the producer’s race riders additionally in attendance because of its concession standing.
“I’m sorry that Cal continues to be not nicely, and I hope he recovers rapidly,” mentioned Dovizioso of his take a look at outing.
“Having mentioned that, I’m blissful and excited to have the possibility to get on a MotoGP bike once more, and I want to thank Yamaha for this chance. I hope I can make my contribution to the event of the bike.”
Crew director Massimo Meregalli wished Crutchlow “a speedy restoration” however mentioned Yamaha “cannot afford to be idle within the meantime” – which is why it has drafted in “a extremely expert and exact rider who has a transparent understanding of the technical aspect of MotoGP” in Dovizioso.
THE STATE OF PLAY
Dovizioso’s return comes at a very powerful time for Yamaha, introduced within the instant aftermath of a brutal Austrian Grand Prix weekend for the agency.
Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins – the latter operating a more recent spec of the Yamaha engine – mixed for no factors and struggled to even actually separate themselves from their fellow backmarkers on the Honda RC213Vs.
The Purple Bull Ring had been one thing of a bogey monitor for Yamaha previously, however the brand new M1 doesn’t have a lot in widespread with these title-contending Yamahas previously that had to take a look at harm limitation within the Austrian GP as a result of their prime velocity shortcomings.
Quartararo, who this weekend had his sights on making Q2 however acknowledged after qualifying that there had been no probability, mimed a dagger to the guts when requested for his feeling when seeing the laptimes Jorge Martin and Pecco Bagnaia had produced within the pole battle.
“What would you like me to assume?” he laughed. “I do not know what to assume.
“It is tough. However we’re working laborious, we’ve not discovered an answer but – nevertheless it’s laborious to see these guys that, principally, ’21 and ’22 I used to be combating for pole place additionally with them.”
Quartararo has now accepted that the most important shortcoming of the M1 is rear grip, not simply in acceleration however in mid-corner – one thing that Dovizioso was insisting on strongly in his last season already, earlier than Yamaha had taken a step by way of prime velocity.
The non-public take a look at at Misano will likely be adopted by the Aragon race after which a Misano double-header (because of Kazakhstan being changed) with a collective take a look at day in-between.
“Various issues to check, hopefully they work,” Quartararo mentioned of the preliminary Misano plan.
“To be trustworthy, what we have modified [that’s visible] on the surface was the most effective change we made. We modified the aero, was higher. However I feel to seek out mechanical grip, it is not by aero – possibly slightly bit, however the quantity of grip that we miss, it is lots.
“Additionally, when there’s grip, the bike is working not too unhealthy, however when it drops the hole between grip and no grip is means greater than the others. That is what now we have to repair and I feel that is mechanical grip and particularly electronics.”
A NEW SIGNING?
Within the meantime, Yamaha is closing in on a serious longer-term addition to its take a look at rider ranks – one whose arrival will not be linked to Dovizioso standing in for Crutchlow.
Augusto Fernandez, who’s being discarded by KTM after this yr, seems to have been satisfied to come back into the fold after a gross sales pitch by Quartararo.
“It is already a couple of months that I am pushing to have a take a look at rider that has been on a MotoGP bike actually lately,” mentioned Quartararo. “A rider that’s actually hungry to maneuver.
“Augusto is clearly one rider that I’ve pushed [for] since a couple of months in the past. And I feel he is younger, he is using quick, for positive he’ll do some wildcards subsequent yr. With 4 Yamahas subsequent yr [after Pramac switches from Ducati], for positive if he is using quick he has the chance to come back again additionally, within the championship.”
Quartararo’s hope to utilize Fernandez’s motivation to return is bolstered by Fernandez’s personal phrases – as he brazenly admitted {that a} Yamaha take a look at gig is now his most engaging choice particularly as a result of it maximises his probabilities of someday being again on the grid once more.
“Now that Fabio’s speaking about that, I will even!” he mentioned when The Race relayed Quartararo’s phrases to him.
“Fabio got here to me a couple of races in the past, to inform me that Yamaha is doing a brand new take a look at crew and so they want a superb rider, and he thought of me. And yeah, the very first thing coming to my thoughts is [it’s] like a retirement, no? However yeah, then pondering – it is the most effective alternative to get again on this paddock [on the grid]. Greater than going to [World] Superbike.
“I could possibly be on a manufacturing unit bike, doing lots of exams, combating for lots of wildcards as nicely – and if I carry out, as is my plan, to carry out to get again on the grid, each time however to get again right here… it is not finished, we’re nonetheless speaking. However yeah, I see this chance as the most effective alternative to come back again.”
Fernandez mentioned he’s near an settlement with Yamaha already, however his arrival wouldn’t essentially equate to Crutchlow’s departure – given KTM’s instance of getting a number of common take a look at riders and Honda being set to comply with swimsuit subsequent yr, with Aleix Espargaro becoming a member of Stefan Bradl.
