Dovizioso: Riders need open mind to switch MotoGP manufacturers

Andrea Dovizioso says all riders need “a completely open mind” moving between MotoGP manufacturers but accepts every situation is different when assessing the fallout between Johann Zarco and KTM.

Earlier this week, KTM effectively ended Zarco’s season when the Austrian factory chose to replace him with test rider for Mika Kallio for the rest of the year.

With the French rider cutting his partnership with KTM short, having been set to leave at the end of 2019, it marks the premature conclusion of a failed collaboration between the two less 12 months on from the two-time Moto2 world champion joining the team.

Dovizioso has reflected on his own experiences switching between manufacturers in MotoGP, having started with Honda in the premier class before a one-season move to Yamaha in 2012 before his second change when he joined the factory Ducati squad in 2013.

The Italian rider believes any successful manufacturer switch relies on both a rider being adaptable but also having the trust in the team to provide them with the support they require.

“Every time the story is different. If you speak about my career I changed three manufacturers and every manufacturer has a completely different characteristic but every rider’s approach is in a different way,” Dovizioso said.

“I think you need a completely open mind and when I switched from Honda to Yamaha I did a lot of good races which was really important and when you switch it is important to know the level of the bike.

“At that moment the bike was really stable, not the fastest and not the best bike but really consistent so I adapted really fast and I was able to be the fastest or one of the fastest with the same manufacturer. That was always my goal when I was at Yamaha. When I changed again to Ducati too.

“But every time the story is different so I can’t know exactly the details between KTM and especially I believe the switch from Yamaha to KTM is huge so it is normal, this can happen, but it is quite unusual and strange to see that struggle. Struggling too much. He wasn’t able to improve the situation that is the negative thing but there is a reason and they know the reason.

“From outside it is very difficult to analyse and say something about that. I think Zarco is a big talent and he showed last year with Yamaha. He was so fast and he rode in a completely different way to the factory riders and sometimes he was a bit faster so for sure he has talent.

“But when the feeling goes down it is difficult to come back. The reason why they stopped I don’t know, or about the details, I can’t say anything about that.”