AS ANDREA DOVIZIOSO hits 300 Grands Prix we argue the case for why he deserves to be regarded as one of MotoGP's greats in 8 reasons... do you agree?
1. He was a top junior during a golden 125/250GP era
More so than arguably any other motorsport series, the route through to MotoGP is a long one. Manufacturers spot the talent right under their nose early on in 125GP/Moto3 and have been known to work them through to 250/Moto2 with a guaranteed MotoGP ride on the horizon.
Andrea Dovizioso worked hard for his spot in MotoGP, despite his loyalty to Honda meaning he wasn’t always on the best machinery. Ahead of his MotoGP debut in 2008, Dovi was a 125GP champion in 2004 and while he didn’t quite win the 250GP title, he was third overall in 2005 and runner-up in 2006 and 2007, collecting 26 podiums on the way.
More impressive though is the company he kept. In his title-winning 125GP year, Dovizioso saw off the likes of Jorge Lorenzo, Casey Stoner, Alvaro Bautista and Marco Simoncelli, finished as the highest 250GP rookie in 2005 and marginally missed out on the 2006 title in a field that saw all but two of the final top ten progress to MotoGP. He achieved this with Honda against the might of more competitive Aprilias.
