Andrea Dovizioso has signed a contract extension with Ducati and will remain with the Bologna manufacturer for another two years in MotoGP.

It will mean Dovizioso’s Ducati lifespan stretches to eight years but it is not yet known who will ride alongside him in the 2019-2020 seasons.

“Today was a really great day for us, because we announced that the marriage with Ducati will continue for the next two years. I believe that together we have done a fantastic job so far, but it’s not enough: we want more and I’m happy that we have reached a deal that allows us to work with peace of mind to obtain better results,” said Dovizioso.

“We’ve got two and a half seasons ahead of us, all the time we need to try and bring home the world title, which is our aim. I’m very pleased with the support that I have received from many people over the last few days: I could never have imagined staying so many years in Ducati, and ours is really a great story.

“Today we started off well, with a clear head and you could see that from the results. We managed to be immediately quick this morning, and then in the afternoon we made a further step forward with the set-up. I was quick both on new tyres and used ones, but we must continue to improve because there are a lot of riders who have a good pace here.”