‘Dovi’s wish for days off doesn’t add up’
“Sabbatical: A period of paid leave granted to a university teacher… for study or travel, traditionally one year for every seven years worked.” Well, some do call Andrea Dovizioso ‘The Professor’, and this year marks his seventh as top dog at Ducati. But the suggestion that he might elect to take a sabbatical in 2021 is pushing the academic analogy a little too far.
He’ll be 36 by 2022, after this presumed break. And seriously, likely to get another half-decent ride on his return? I hardly think so. The speculation was started by the Italian one-time 125 champion’s manager, smoothy Simone Battistella, talking on a Spanish web forum; and reflects stalled negotiations with Ducati, where Dovi has been growing increasingly disillusioned with the continued failure to solve the bike’s cornering issues; with big chief Dall’Igna in turn increasingly disillusioned with perpetually coming second, for three years straight now. Battistella explained that if his “conditions are not met, he prefers not to continue. He is not thinking about retiring… [but] if you do not have an interesting project… he is going to wait for that project”. The words conceal a wealth of meaning, none of it completely clear. We can divine that both of the parties are hedging their bets. That is what negotiating entails. Where both fall short, however, is in the matter of options.
Dovi, it turns out, had already had a little skirmish with KTM, with Batistella revealing it was a nohoper. All other major seats are settled for 2022; so barring accident and injury or any sudden surprise changes of mind, the best Dovi could hope for would be Aprilia. Which, come to think of it, might appeal to his analytical mind but on current form wouldn’t get anywhere near any desire he might have to add to his tally of 14 wins.
Dovi is the absolute antithesis of Rossi, who is constitutionally unable to give up trying no matter what. As a result it is pathologically impossible to think about quitting, while he’ll take risks to win even when the odds are against him. Dovi, by contrast, will try to win when the conditions are right, but is always been happy to take second if that’s the best the bike can safely manage. Still, seniority and selfesteem surely won’t allow him to accept a down-table ride.
‘This is a step too far, even for The Professor…’