Andrea Dovizioso rejects Ducati's first new contract offer in MotoGP
MotoGP championship leader Andrea Dovizioso has rejected Ducati's first contract extension offer, Autosport has learned
Dovizioso, who has been with Ducati since 2013 and finished runner-up to Honda's Marc Marquez last year, has a contact that runs to the end of 2018 - and has been in negotiations over an extension.
Team manager Davide Tardozzi said earlier this month that Ducati was confident of renewing Dovizioso's deal "soon" - but it has now emerged that the manufacturer's initial offer was turned down by the rider.
Dovizioso's agent Simone Battistella told Autosport: "We are far [away]. We've had a meeting with Ducati and finally we said we have to keep working to make Andrea feel comfortable."
The Italian has firmly established himself as Ducati's benchmark rider as of late, having won seven of the last 16 races, and he currently leads the 2018 standings by a single point over Marquez.
Battistella continued: "The rider is not asking for something extraordinary, nothing impossible, just what he deserves taking into account the job that he's doing.
"But at the moment, we are not close to a deal."
Despite the initial offer being rejected, and the fact Dovizioso has been in talks with Honda and Suzuki, there is a wide acceptance in the paddock that the 32-year-old will eventually agree new terms with Ducati.
Dovizioso's current deal is understood to be worth under €2million, compared to the €12-million salary of his championship-winning team-mate Jorge Lorenzo - who has come nowhere near matching the Italian's frontrunning form.
Lorenzo's continued struggles with the Desmosedici bike, paired with the fact Suzuki has made the Spaniard a primary target for next season, mean letting Dovizioso leave would appear unthinkable for Ducati.
Previous article
Yamaha has made 'big improvement' on 2018 MotoGP bike's weaknesses
Next article
Iannone ready to explode over criticism before Austin MotoGP podium
About this article
| Series | MotoGP |
| Drivers | Andrea Dovizioso |
| Teams | Ducati Team , AB Motoracing |
| Author | Oriol Puigdemont |
The "pit bull" MotoGP rookie already drawing legendary comparisons
MotoGP’s 2021 rookie crop is one of the strongest in recent years, but one is already standing out. Jorge Martin’s Doha GP heroics have courted many to compare him to numerous MotoGP legends. Autosport spoke to Pramac boss Francesco Guidotti to find out why MotoGP’s latest Spanish star is already making such an impact
Why MotoGP's stewards must revisit Miller and Mir's Losail clash
Despite Suzuki’s decision not to appeal against Race Direction’s refusal to penalise Jack Miller following the incident with Joan Mir in Losail, something must be done to avoid a repeat of such an incident, which could have easily ended in tragedy
Has Yamaha banished its demons with its 2021 MotoGP bike?
Against the expected run of play at Qatar's Losail circuit, both Yamaha riders Maverick Vinales and Fabio Quartararo carved through a resolute Ducati defence to secure back-to-back MotoGP wins for the Japanese marque. After a difficult 2020, it appears that Yamaha has swaggered back into championship contention
Why MotoGP’s top gun looks more dangerous at the Doha GP
Lightning hasn't struck twice for Maverick Vinales since 2017 and his wayward form of recent years makes predicting how he'll fare each MotoGP race weekend tricky. But fresh from his Qatar GP win, Vinales looks like an even more dangerous prospect for the Doha GP following an intriguing Friday practice
Why MotoGP’s new Amazon series is long overdue
OPINION: MotoGP is getting its own version of Drive to Survive on Amazon Prime at some point in the near future. It was news welcomed by the grid’s leading riders. And following the impact DTS has had on Formula 1, MotoGP desperately needs the same boost.
Did the Qatar GP hint at Ducati’s true MotoGP leader?
OPINION: Johann Zarco talked a big game pre-season, and is so far vindicating himself as a factory rider at Pramac after finishing the Qatar GP as top Ducati in second. And contrasting his and Jack Miller's weekends and their approaches, is Zarco emerging as Ducati's true MotoGP leader?
The key changes behind the latest 'return of the Mack'
Maverick Vinales’s authoritative victory at the MotoGP season opener came during a period of personal and professional change for the Yamaha rider. Can it be the springboard for a title challenge?
The past clues which hint at the MotoGP order in Qatar
The MotoGP season kicks off this weekend in Qatar - two years after it last visited the Losail circuit for a race weekend as last season's round was called off. As ever, the pecking order is difficult to map out at this early stage of the season, but perhaps the 2019 race offers some clues as to how things might shake out...
