Andrea Dovizioso used Thursday evening at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli to discuss his new future as a Yamaha MotoGP rider.

Reflecting on his ‘lucky’ opportunity to use the next five races as a learning experience ahead of next year’s assault on factory 2022 machinery, the Italian admitted to his contentment with watching this season play out from home.

“In my mind, I wasn't worried at the end of last year about this,” Dovizioso explained “because I knew what I wanted and if something crazy happened, and some important doors open, I was open to consider. Motorsport is like that and it's happened. If it didn't happen this, I think maybe I retire from MotoGP, but I didn't leave that situation in a worried way or angry. I was just relaxed doing what I like at home.

“But I'm really happy to be in this situation,” he continued. “For sure, is not the best to start on a race weekend, because the position is not done - after eight years with the same bike, takes time, it will take time, but in another side I'm lucky because I'm able to do five races, two tests before the next season. This is what I’m looking forward to, so I'm happy about that.”

His return to Yamaha - after running with a satellite M1 back in 2012 - wasn’t the first potential for the 35-year-old to reinstate himself within the premier class in 2021. A full-time offer was on the table from Aprilia, after track time as a test rider at Jerez, Mugello, Misano and MotorLand Aragón.

“I was very happy to do some tests with Aprilia,” Dovizioso said. “I think it was nice to do that, for both [sides]. It went well, because I have a chance to stay with the MotoGP bike, and I was able to give some feedback to Aprilia and I was happy because the relation is really good. The atmosphere was good, so I was happy to do that. I knew what they wanted, but I wanted something not possible at the beginning of the season, but then things happen, so I'm lucky, I'm happy. We work in the right way, you can call it as you want, but this is what happened.”

The new adventures with Yamaha come as a result of a strange summer at the Japanese brand, with Maverick Viñales initially deciding to terminate halfway through his two year contract, before ultimately splitting from the team even earlier, at Austria.

“Everybody was surprised about that,” the Italian admitted. “Also because nobody knows exactly what happened, in the details, I mean, they have a long relation and it's happened for sure, a lot of things in this year but we don't know. So, for us, this was I think a big surprise, especially during the season, to stop the contract but especially to stop during the season. So everybody I think was surprised.

“I can't know how strong is my bike for these next five rounds, and I'm not worried about that,” he continued, turning his attention to the job at hand.

“First because I don't have to fight for something about the championship and the result. An important thing on our deal was to have a factory bike next year, factory support, and we achieved that. The important things of this year is to feel good on the bike, position-wise and understand the bike, because for sure the bike, I will have to ride in a very different way than the previous one. So, it will take time. It will take time, first for the position. I'm a bit worried, more for the position at the beginning than the bike. I'm quite short and is a bit difficult at the beginning to have the right position, because for me it's been difficult to ride on the rear brake, the gearbox, to the handlebar, I'm quite short. So, in the beginning, I have to use the first practice to change a few things because until you go on the track, is impossible to understand all the details, the size.

“The approach will be like always, this moment, fortunately, I don't have any pressure. I think nobody expect a lot from me tomorrow. Normally I'm not a rider to push over the limit when I still have to understand a lot of things, I don't think there is reason to do that. Also because I don't have to win anything tomorrow, and I have to prepare in the best way next year.

“After that, when I feel comfortable about the position, I can start to push and feel and give my feedback and we will see. The MotoGP now, I think for a few reasons is very tight. I mean, the last one is so fast and it's very close to the first one, about speed wise. So it's very difficult, but I know that and I'm not worried in this moment, about that, I don't have to be worried.

“Cal explain me a bit the difference from 2019 bike to 2021,” he continued. “Looks quite clear from every rider to say the same things. For sure there will be a big change from the bike, but in this moment, I'm not worried about that because my change is bigger than the difference of the bikes. So, I will have time to compare, test, next year I will not have this bike, but in the test, I will have the possibility to understand a bit more, at the end of the season.

“On the paper, the engine is slower, much slower, okay, and that is not easy, it will be not easy, but anyway I'm focused about adapting by the position because the size of the bike is a bit different and for sure the riding style, there is a big difference.

“At the beginning when that door opened, I thought about that but I couldn't say no, because already in 2012 after a good year in a satellite situation, my dream was to be in the factory Yamaha and didn't happen. So those things remain in my mind, and to have this chance now, after eight years with the same bike, it's something I really wanted to do.

“I don't want to say with that bike I will be stronger, faster, the best, but as a rider, you have your idea, you have your feeling when you race for a lot of years against a manufacturer, and it's something I really wanted to do. For sure is more the risk than the possibility to do good, in my opinion, but I think for a lot of people, is like that but I don’t care. I race for me, I race because I have the passion to race. I am really interested to feel and to ride with a completely different bike, different brand and I would take that risk and I don't have any problem about that.”

When asked what he expects from his first weekend back at a competitive event, or for that matter the coming weeks, he remained realistic.

“I think I can do the over 35 championship against Valentino!” he joked before elaborating. “At the end is not the position, because everybody are so fast. If we compare four years ago, the gap between the first and the last, to now, there is a big difference. So the position, in this moment, at the beginning, is not the point. If the result will not come at the beginning, is not the main problem.

“The point is to have a good feeling, to feel well the bike and improving race by race, test by test, because that is the important thing. As I told you before, I'm lucky to do five races, plus two tests more than normally when a rider change team, normally you have the two tests before the season, and now I have that two test plus this season so I think it's just positive. If you look at this like an adapting situation is not about the result.”

Dovizioso’s return comes at the end of a long and successful career, and for the next five races he will be partnered with another of equal stature, Valentino Rossi.

“To be a teammate of Valentino is something special,” he explained. “Not just because he won a lot of titles but, you know, as everybody knows, he's a special person. It's not about just a champion. He's charismatic, he's a special person, so I'm happy to be his teammate. Is not the best moment to be his teammate about the speed wise, because in the past he won a lot of titles, and I will start from zero so I don't think we will fight for the victory. So that is a bit strange, especially if you are speaking about Valentino. It's very strange but very nice to be a teammate of Vale.”