MotoGP: Andrea Dovizioso to Undergo Surgery

Ducati Corse’s newest rider, Andrea Dovizioso, is set to undergo surgery next week and have plate removed from his shoulder. Expected to have the surgery performed on December 4th, Dovi is waiting to do the surgery after the team’s private test at Jerez this week, and the Marco Simoncelli Foundation’s supermoto race this coming weekend. Dovizioso will have two months to recuperate before MotoGP’s next official test at Sepang in February.

Dovi’s shoulder injury is the result of a training accident earlier this year, while the Italian was riding motocross. Seemingly unaffected by the injury during the 2012 MotoGP Championship season, Dovizioso finished an impressive fourth place in the Championship, despite being on a satellite Yamaha machine.

Unable to secure a factory Yamaha ride next year, due to Valentino Rossi’s return to the Japanese manufacturer, Dovizioso is instead taking Rossi’s spot at the factory Ducati Corse MotoGP team.

Hoping to improve upon its results next season, Ducati Corse has implemented an interesting four-rider strategy, which sees the factory teams joined by Pramac Racing’s “Junior” team, which will have near-factory equipment, as Ducati searches for clearer path of development for the Desmosedici.

Shaking things up at the management level, Ducati has appointed Bernhard Gobmeier has the head of Ducati Corse, while Paolo Ciabatti will oversee Ducati’s MotoGP project.