Andrea Dovizioso relishing factory Honda move

Italian Andrea Dovizioso reckons he can’t wait to begin his factory Honda career in Valencia next week.

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The former world 125 champion, who scored his debut premier class podium in Sepang last weekend, will ride Nicky Hayden’s factory RC212V machine in testing in Spain on Monday and Tuesday.

Dovizioso, who leaves the JIR Scot Honda satellite team, said: “To try the factory bike is so interesting for me. I am ready for this move to the factory team because I have learned a lot during my first season. I want to work with the team and especially on the bike, because when you’re on a satellite team you can’t improve the bike.

“The bike you start the season on is the bike you finish with, so it is very difficult to make any big progress with the performance of the bike. This will be the first year for me to work on the bike where I can develop it and have some input.”

New Repsol team-mate Dani Pedrosa will have two bikes at his disposal at next week’s test. The Spaniard, who won last year’s Valencia MotoGP, will have one 2008 spec RC212V in his box, while he’ll also have an early 2009 prototype.

The triple world champion completed a handful of laps on the updated bike at a rain-hit test at the Twin Ring Motegi in Japan last month.