It’s a question the 36-year-old Italian says he won’t entertain unless he can turn around his current struggles with the t🌺eam’s Yamaha machinery.
The former Mugello 𓆏winner for Ducati crossed the finish line in just 20th place on Sunday, 30-seconds behind Francesco Bagnaia and last of the Yamaha riders, marking Dovizioso’s fifth non-score of the season.
“I really wanted to do a goo🐼d Mugello, to enjoy Mugelloꦆ,” Dovizioso said. “That didn't happen in any practice and the race was very tough, very difficult.
“I didn't put the haಞrd front tyre like the other Yamahas. I couldn't try it during practice, maybe it was a bit better, but in a🥂ny case, from the first lap I didn't have the speed in the middle of the corner. I couldn't really play in the chicanes, so my speed wasn’t there. It was very, very bad.”
Former triple title runner-up Dovizioso has been struggling t🐻o adapt his preferred stop-and-go style to the narrow per🍰formance window of the M1, a bike that only world champion Fabio Quartararo has been successful on so far this season.
“I think in Mugello it’s even more clear,” Dovizioso said. “Because I saw in the race Darryn [Binder] and Frankie [Morbidell✱i]. And they went faster in the middle of the 🍸corners.
“The way you have to be♋ fast with Yamaha is entry and make the speed on the edge [of the tyre] because it’s the best moment for Yamaha to make the time. But when I'm trying to do that, I’m slow. I'm not good to do that.
“For example,ಌ for half of the race, I was behind Fernandez and I was pushing, pushing, pushing and I was slow. When I was overtook hi♋m I started to ride a bit more in my way. Stop and go. And I was able to be half-a-second faster until the last lap.
“But this is ☂not the way to ride the Yamaha, and it's still not💎 fast enough. So this is just another confirmation. The way you have to ride the Yamaha to be competitive and use the potential, is far from what I'm good to do.
“So if I'm trying to follow that 🌠way, it's even worse. That's why I become angry on the bikꦇe and I'm struggling and… [it] doesn't work.”
Remote video URL
Earlier in the Mugello weekend, RNF announced that it would be switching from Yamaha to Aprilia machinery from 2023ꩲ.
Dovizioso tested the now race-wi🧔nninꦿg RS-GP last year, before his late-season comeback with Razlan Razali’s team, but insists it’s ‘stupid’ to think about next year given his current troubles.
“In this moment I don't see the reason why I will race. I mean, I don't like 𝓡to be in this condition, in this situation,” Dovizioso said.
“I always say if I'm not competitive, I will be not in MotoGP. So at this moment I really don't think about this. I💞t doesn't matter the manufacturer.”
While Sunday's runner-up Quartararo continues to lead the world championship standings, factory team-m😼ate Franco Morbidelli is the next best Yamaha rider in 19th place. Dovizioso is 21st and rookie team-mate Binder 22nd.
Peter has been in the paddock f𓂃or 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the fore⛄front of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
