Dovizioso ‘open’ over 2021 MotoGP deal but ‘won’t race just to race’

Andrea Dovizioso was giving precious little away about his future prospects as mystery continues to shroud the potential of him landing a ride for the 2021 MotoGP World Championship, but says he hopes to share more ‘in the next month’.

The Italian is currently in the midst of the 2020 MotoGP title fight with Ducati but is doing so under the cloud of knowing he will leave the team at the end of the season after failing to reach an agreement on a new contract.

With seats at Ducati a no go and Valentino Rossi almost certain to land the Petronas SRT Yamaha ride, Dovizioso’s options appear limited to Aprilia. However, it is unclear whether the manufacturer is keen to make a play for him or whether the 15-time race winner is even interested.

Ahead of his home San Marino MotoGP at Misano, Dovizioso says little has changed in his situation, but while he says he is ‘open’ to offers, he adds he won’t sign for just any seat.

“In this moment, I still don’t have anything on the table. There isn’t any news. I have to wait, I don’t need to make a decision now, it doesn’t change this season now. I want to be focused on this season.

“About next year, we will see. I took a decision for clear reasons and I know very well what I need to be competitive in this difficult class. We will see when I have something on the table because I don’t want to race just to race.

“I am really open in this moment and I don’t have anything clear in this moment. I think in the next month something will come out but we will see. I will decide when I have something clear.”

The Italian - runner-up to Marc Marquez in 2017, 2018 and 2019 - did find some support from Valentino Rossi though when the grand prix legend was asked whether he’d want Yamaha to sign Dovizioso as a test rider for 2021.

“Dovi, for sure, I would sign him now as a test rider! But I think and I hope that he will find a bike to race, because he is young and fast.”

In one of the light hearted moments of the press conference, Dovizioso cautiously swerved a question asking him to respond to supportive comments made by Casey Stoner earlier this week that criticised Ducati’s failure to listen to its riders over bike development.

Pausing for several seconds in a long ‘ahh’, he eventually replied: “It’s better, no. I’m sorry… [I’ll tell you in] the future’.