DOVIZIOSO SIGNS WITH TECH 3 YAMAHA FOR 2012

So far this season, the 25-year-old has secured four second places and is in third place in the World Championship standings with three races remaining. The Italian, who was 125cc World Champion in 2004 and twice runner-up in the 250cc class, moved up to the MotoGP class in 2008, riding for JiR Team Scot, before switching to the Repsol Honda squad in 2009. With the 'full house' at Repsol for 2011, it was inevitable that one rider would ahve to go, and it appears that Dovizioso has jumped before he was pushed.

Dovizioso will replace Colin Edwards at tech 3, joining Cal Crutchlow for the first season of the new 1000cc MotoGP era, which kicks off in Qatar on April 15, 2012. No word on Edwards' future had been confirmed.

Andrea Dovizioso
"I'm happy to have reached this agreement with Tech 3 for next year and I want to thank Hervé Poncharal for the opportunity he is giving me. I am excited to become part of Hervé's squad and to be teamed with Cal. I am sure this new challenge will be exciting, motivating and fun. Now that 2012 is sorted I want to focus on finishing the season in the best possible way."

Herve Poncharal, Team Manager (Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team)
"I am delighted that a rider of Andrea's stature has decided to commit his future to Tech 3 and Yamaha. He is without doubt one of the fastest riders in the world who has proven on a regular basis that he is capable of challenging for the podium in MotoGP. I am thrilled that he trusts the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team to take his career to the next level and we can look forward to 2012 with high expectations. I am convinced that with Andrea and Cal we have one of the strongest line-ups on the grid in 2012 and both of them will demonstrate the potential of Yamaha's new 1000cc machine."