Dovizioso’s strengths as a test rider
On June 20, 2025, Yamaha announced that it had signed Andrea Dovizioso as a test rider and rider performance advisor for Yamaha Factory Racing. This marks another new addition to the team, as the team emerges from a period of struggle.
Dovizioso is an Italian rider who competed in the premier class from 2008 to 2022. He rode for Honda, Yamaha, and Ducati, and in his final season, 2022, he competed as a rider for the WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP team, which was Yamaha’s satellite team at the time. Although he was unable to win the championship, he finished second in the rankings for three consecutive seasons from 2017 to 2019, behind Marc Márquez (then with Honda). Even during his active career, he was known as an analytical rider.
At the Austrian Grand Prix, we spoke with Takahiro Sumi, General Manager of the Motorcycle Development Department of the Motorcycle Vehicle Development Division of Yamaha Motor and President of Yamaha Motor Racing, about Dovizioso’s appointment as a test rider.
“He raced with our bikes and knows the weaknesses of the Yamaha bike very well, so his comments will be very helpful.”
Dovizioso has pointed out that the current Yamaha YZR-M1 has issues, particularly with rear grip, which is a problem that the development team has been constantly pointing out.
“He was racing for our team in 2022, and he clearly pointed out the issue of rear grip at a very early stage. He has had a keen sensitivity to such things ever since his active days. Although he is not racing now, he is able to give us appropriate advice by taking into account his memories of that time and the current situation.”
“I’ve worked with Dovizioso since his active days, and he’s an analytical rider,” says Washimi of his assessment of Dovizioso.
“The environment, emotions, tires, temperature, and conditions all change from time to time. Riders communicate their thoughts to us under these circumstances. With Andrea, he seems to be able to communicate the facts relatively calmly. His words are easy for engineers to understand. Of course, he’s also a rider, so he also plays a role in effectively connecting the riders and engineers.”
“There are many different types of riders. For us, it’s enough if they communicate correctly, but (in Dovizioso’s case) he is also able to give feedback in a way that is easy to understand. I think that is his strength.”
With the addition of a new talent like Dovizioso, we can expect Yamaha’s rise to gain momentum.
profile
General Manager of Motorcycle Development Division, Motorcycle Vehicle Development Division, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.
President of Yamaha Motor Racing
Takahiro Sumi
He is primarily responsible for the design of mass-produced motorcycles and the YZR-M1 chassis. He has served as the YZR-M1 project leader since 2019, and in 2022 he was appointed General Manager of the Motorcycle Development Department and President of Yamaha Motor Racing (Italy). ©Eri Ito
