Is Dovizioso riding?

[edlalu]

I'll admit to being a bit out of the loop (just got a new job) but the rider tab for Dovizioso says he's staying in 250's but a recent article on MotoGP.com says he in the GP group.
Which is it?

[Roby44]

He will be racing in MotoGP

[Roby44]

Debut day for JiR Team Scot’s ‘Silver Arrow’ in Jerez published: 16-02-2008



Today marked the dramatic debut of the new 2008 silver livery on the JiR Team Scot Honda RC212V.
Andrea Dovizioso took his 2008 800cc MotoGP machine out for the first time today in its new livery at the 2.748-mile Jerez circuit. After many paddock rumours and much interest, JiR Team Scot revealed ‘the jewel of HRC’ resplendent with its striking monochromatic graphics, finally showing to the world what the bike will look like this season.
Today was first of three days of testing dedicated to the set up of the technical package, including a number of 2008-specification upgrades. For the whole day Andrea Dovizioso and the team worked on their busy schedule always running his RC212V in race configuration and with race tyres.

Cirano Mularoni –JiR Team Scot Team manager
“This first day has been a new horizon for us. The new silver livery is personal to us all and elegant and it shows to everyone that we’re doing something very different this year. We also have on the bike the new engine for our technical upgrade and the results are just what we expected. Obviously we’re comparing information today from our previous tests including the one here in November, so everyone in the team has really appreciated the step forward that we are making here. This is just the beginning as the workload and schedule will become even more intense over the next few days.”

Andrea Dovizioso – Rider, JiR Team Scot MotoGP
HONDA RC212V
Time 10th: 1’40”767
“I’ve never had a good feeling with the Jerez circuit, but riding this RC212V I was almost immediately in a position to ride very fast and have a lot of fun. We didn’t want to run qualifying tyres, but instead we decided to concentrate on the setting to find a good balance between the new technical items we have now. I’m very satisfied with the engine – it’s more powerful than the previous one for sure. We are also working on different tyre solutions with Michelin to allow me to be both fast and consistent. We have been trying different profiles and both the 16 and 16.5-inch rim sizes. We have been improving, even if we have some small problems and we’re quite close to the lap times you usually do here in Jerez in race trim, so that is very positive.”

Pietro Caprara – Crew chief JiR Team Scot MotoGP
“Today is a new beginning and our evaluation of the whole day’s work ended with Andrea doing a very good lap time. The team has now worked with the new engine and this obviously has now given us a new direction in which to work in. We now have to fine-tune the whole package. A big part of the work has been done in the garage, where we spent time, sharing a lot of data with both the Showa and Michelin technicians. We were probably on track less than we should have been, but results so far have shown that the cautious methods we’re using are the right ones to reach the target.”

[Roby44]

DOVI HAPPY WITH THIRD POSITION ON FINAL DAY AT JEREZ

Rain once again disturbed today’s final day of testing at the official IRTA tests at the Jerez circuit in southern Spain. In the afternoon the sunshine finally dried out the 2.748-mile track and the JiR Team Scot squad was once more hard at work researching improved settings for their Honda RCV212V machine. Despite only a few hours of quality track-time available, the circuit was in good condition, but with some high winds affecting some riders in a number of corners. Today Andrea Dovizioso focussed his attention on qualifying tyres, setting the third fastest time overall.

Andrea Dovizioso #4 – Rider, JiR Team Scot MotoGP: Best time: 3rd - 1’ 39”313”
“Despite this morning with the bad weather we concentrated our attention this afternoon on qualifying tyres, which Michelin gave us in quantity and in different types. After finding the right settings we went out for a few runs, which confirmed to us the good performance of these tyres on my 800cc Honda and now I can grow in confidence with the MotoGP bike on qualifying tyres, which we didn’t use in the 250cc class. The team worked very well together and I think we’re now in position to do even better at the final test.”

Test Jerez MotoGP – Day three
1st Nicky Hayden Honda 1’38”848
2nd Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha 1’39”252
3rd Andrea Dovizioso Honda 1’39”313
4th Randy d Puniet Honda 1’39”351
5th Valentino Rossi Yamaha 1’39”568

[Roby44]

The new silver livery...and race #4 not 34!! But thats another story!!

[Roby44]

One more...

[The Phantom]

The new silver livery...and race #4 not 34!! But thats another story!!

Best looking RC212V out there.

[NinjaMaster]

Best looking RC212V out there.

...which isn't very difficult as none are particularly stunning. I must admit, I found it a bit bland to start with, looks too close to white. I would have preferred the yellow design I had become accustomed to over the previous couple of years.

[Roby44]

It will take a bit of getting used to after the Yellow.

Sort of like when Max rode for Repsol and then Valentino rode for Camel!!

I used to get a bit confused then...Blonde moments!!


No I'm not really blonde it just seems that way at times!!

[Roby44]

Dovizioso plays down works ride rumours
autosport.com - MotoGP News: Dovizioso plays down works ride rumours

Andrea Dovizioso's manager has played down rumours in the Italian press that the JiR Team Scot rookie is line to replace former world champion Nicky Hayden in the factory Repsol Honda squad in 2009. Doviziozo, a former 250cc race winner, impressed on his debut in the senior class, finishing fourth after coming out on top in a wheel-to-wheel dice with his hero Valentino Rossi at Qatar.
A loyal Honda man since he made his 125cc world championship debut in 2002, the Italian is seen as a rising star among the ranks of the Japanese manufacturer's rider roster. And speculation is growing that Honda is keen to support him with a works ride in 2009 as reward for his rides on uncompetitive Honda 250cc machinery over recent seasons, should Hayden choose to leave HRC.
Doviziozo's manager Simone Batistella told autosport.com that he had not been approached however and that there was no substance to the rumours.
"Nothing has been discussed at all," said Batiztella. "We haven't spoken to anyone about anything. Everything is as it was before the season started. We are just concentrating on every race doing the best that we can."
Hayden's current two-year contract with HRC runs out at the end of 2008.