Andrea Dovizioso plays an important role at Yamaha—he helps Fabio Quartararo convey his feedback to the engineers in a precise manner—experience is key
With his experience and analytical approach, Andrea Dovizioso has become an important factor in Yamaha’s development program.
The three-time MotoGP runner-up provides feedback to the engineers during the development of the new V4 motorcycle, and Dovizioso also provides support on race weekends, especially for Fabio Quartararo. The former world champion made minor changes to communication in his pit in early summer.
Dovizioso is also present at many races, listens attentively, and can also provide clarity to the engineers if Quartararo has not expressed himself precisely. “To put it in a nutshell, he’s a kind of translator,” “His support is very, very helpful. He can listen to the rider and sometimes translate his feelings for the engineers.”
“You know, sometimes a rider doesn’t want to listen to the opinion of another rider or ex-rider. With Andrea, it’s completely different. Both riders have asked for Andrea to be in the pit much more often.”
“He is very analytical and can evaluate the data like an engineer. He brings a wealth of experience and told them: If you want and accept my comments, I will try to pass on my experience to you. And that’s exactly what happened.”
Dovizioso rode the M1 in the Tech3 team in 2012 before moving to Ducati for eight years. After this collaboration ended, he took a year’s break.
In the fall of 2021, an opportunity arose in the Yamaha satellite team Petronas-SRT. Based on his experience in 2012, the Italian wanted to give Yamaha another try. But it wasn’t a success. Before the end of the 2022 season, Dovizioso announced his retirement and has not raced in MotoGP since.
He remained on friendly terms with Yamaha. Max Bartolini, whom Dovizioso knows very well from his time at Ducati, is now the technical director. In the summer of 2024, he tested for Yamaha again and decided to join the project.
Dovizioso a “driving engineer”
Dovizioso’s contract as a test rider has been extended until 2027. The development of the V4 motorcycle and the model for the 2027 regulations will be significantly influenced by his feedback. He is also the official performance analyst for the regular riders.
Dovizioso no longer wants to race. Augusto Fernandez will take over wildcards and substitute rider duties. Dovizioso is basically a “driving engineer” in his role. “Yes, maybe,” says Meregalli. “It’s something in between. But he can really take on that role.”
“For example, he’s now teaching Augusto a few things. Ultimately, you have to make the transition from active rider to test rider. Young riders first have to internalize this change. Andrea explains this to Augusto too.“
”They’re used to always pushing 100 percent.” But in a test, for example, you only have to go 90 percent to the limit. “Or even less, but very consistently,” confirms Meregalli. “The collaboration with Andrea is working very well.”
“If there is a wildcard entry, Andrea will support the team. We also always test with both riders in parallel. We don’t want just one perspective, one direction. That’s why Andrea and Augusto always test the same things to compare results.”
“Our goal is to get a clearer picture of the right development path.” This is also necessary because Yamaha is expected to finish the 2025 MotoGP season in fifth and last place. Honda already has a 46-point lead in the world championship.
