MotoGP, Battistella: "Ducati needs Dovizioso, not the other way around"

The rider's market is at a standstill. Suzuki's agreement on a two-year renewal with Rins was actually reached well before the races stopped (the Spanish rider himself said he had started talking about it a year ago). However, there are still other top riders who have to make a decision about their future. The most important are Valentino Rossi and Andrea Dovizioso.

Simone Battistella, Dovizioso's manager, told AS: "Ducati needs Dovizioso more than Dovizioso needs Ducati," and, "Andrea is open to every possibility. He's in no hurry."

Logically, the role playing game has already started, and negotiations will begin in the coming months. Dovi and the Rossa are a consolidated combination. Yet, anything can happen, but not the possibility of a retirement, which the rider from Forlì talked about a few weeks ago.

“Andrea wants to continue racing," Battistella said. "He's not moving because he wants to see how the different projects are developing. He won't start talking before mid-May."

There has been lots of talk about the disagreements between Dovizioso and Gigi Dall'Igna in the past few months. Even the fact that Ducati sought Vinales and Quartararo could have been a sign that Dovi might have been leaving but, according to his manager, that's not the case.

“Andrea understands that a company must keep an eye on the young riders who arrive," he explained. "There was tension between Andrea and Gigi, but it was professional and contributed to making the project develop. Their priorities are to win, and they want to do it."