Yamaha has announced the signing of Andrea Dovizioso, who will join its MotoGP test rider line-up on a three-year deal until 2027.
The MotoGP Hall of Famer makes an official return to the paddock after retiring at the end of the 2022 season, inking a deal that sees him as the Japanese marque’s rider performance advisor too.
Dovizioso has already played a key role in Yamaha’s V4 development alongside its other test rider Augusto Fernandez.
“I’m really happy to officially announce this new connection with Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd,” Dovizioso stated.
“I know it represents an important step in a relationship built on mutual trust and respect. I feel completely comfortable in the role we’ve defined together with Yamaha, aimed at maximising my contribution to this important project.
“In both capacities, as test rider and rider performance advisor, I see myself as a key link between the various players involved in the development process.
“My goal will be to create strong synergy between riders, team, and crew, drawing on my experience both on track and inside the garage.
“We’re well aware that this journey will be shaped by many small details that need attention, but we also have a clear vision of the result we want to achieve, and we know the level of dedication required to get there.”
Yamaha Team Manager Paolo Pavesio expressed how “instrumental” Dovizioso is to the project, emphasising that his technical insight will be advantageous heading into the new regulation era.
“Andrea and Yamaha have shared a strong partnership for many years now, and we are delighted to announce that he is staying with Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP for three more,” Pavesio said.
“Dovi is not only a MotoGP legend with superb riding skills, but he also possesses technical knowledge and can effectively give feedback to the engineers.
“This makes him an ideal test rider, for sure, but we saw the opportunity to make further use of his talents within Yamaha’s MotoGP Project.
“Besides him signing on as Test Rider, which we believe is instrumental to our MotoGP bike development programme, we’re also excited to see him take on the new role of Rider Performance Advisor.
“This will allow Yamaha to successfully gather crucial data and efficiently share insights between all four Yamaha MotoGP riders and the Yamaha engineers.”
Yamaha states that the 15-time race winner will “participate in private testing sessions outside of the Grand Prix calendar, directly contributing to Yamaha’s prototype development.”
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