Andrea Dovizioso has been confirmed as Nicky Hayden's replacement in the Repsol Honda MotoGP team as his JiR squad announce they are to quit the series at the end if this season.
"I´m really happy, because one of my dreams is coming true. I worked for seven years with Honda because I wanted to be here," said Dovizioso.
"I want to get to work as soon as possible with the new bike and team, because right now the work in a satellite team is very limited –I can´t improve anything."
Dovizioso's JiR team boss Luca Montiron is fuming with the factory for its non-acceptance of his MotoGP project for the 2009 season that the Monaco-based company presented at the end of July.
“It is now time to turn the page because I have a different vision and projects and its’ the moment to close the chapter of our important collaboration with Honda Racing Corporation, which has been full of sporting and commercial success," said Montiron.
“It is a question of motivation as well as choice. I am thinking of the 2003 season when my project brought Bridgestone into MotoGP alongside the Japanese rider Makoto Tamada. I remember with pleasure and pride a year of success in 2004, the year of the Camel Honda Team, with Tamada-san once more. And I cannot forget three very important seasons of 2005-2007 as the Konica Minolta Honda Team.
This was a project which was solid and successful both commercially and sportively. And of course I also want to consider this year, which saw the emergence of Andrea Dovizioso into the top-level of MotoGP and the effort and dedication that has been made daily as we try to battle with the best teams and riders in the championship.
However, nowadays for private teams there is no chance of winning races, and my target is to repeat the successes of the past, therefore I feel it is better for players such as us to quit rather than to simply make up the numbers on the grid. We have come to the time to finally turn the page and look forward to new projects, new motivation and a new manufacturer in which we can believe.”
