With Cal Crutchlow still sidelined with injury Andrea Dovizioso will step in as the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test Rider at a private Misano test.

Andrea Dovizioso will take on the Yamaha MotoGP Test Rider role at a private Misano Test on the 20th and 21st of August.

Dovizioso will deputise for Cal Crutchlow who has not fully recovered from an operation on his hand earlier this year.

This will not be the first time Dovizioso has ridden the Yamaha M1 in 2024. The 38-year-old completed a private test at Mugello to ensure he was up to pace on the MotoGP machine.

"I am sorry that Cal is still not well, and I hope he recovers quickly," said Dovizioso.

"Having said that, I am happy and excited to have the chance to get on a MotoGP bike again, and I would like to thank Yamaha for this opportunity. I hope I will be able to make my contribution to the development of the bike."

Team Director, Massimo Meregalli said: "First of all, let me start by saying that we all wish Cal a speedy recovery and hope to see him back on track soon with our test team.

"However, in the meantime, we can't afford to be idle. We are therefore delighted to confirm that Andrea has agreed to fill in for Cal and take on the role of the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test rider at the private Misano test. 

"Andrea and Yamaha have had a close relationship for many years. Dovi is a highly skilled and precise rider who also has a clear understanding of the technical side of MotoGP. Furthermore, besides his experience in the MotoGP championship, he is also familiar with Yamaha's MotoGP Project, so we are greatly looking forward to continuing our partnership with him. We think he will help us collect valuable data and give us good feedback."

This is Dovizioso's first involvement back in MotoGP after retiring in 2022. The Italian has previously ridden for Yamaha on two occasions for Petronas Yamaha in 2022 and WithU Yamaha in 2023.