Aleix: 'Real chance' for Dovi and Aprilia

If Aleix Espargaro has his way, Aprilia will be doing all they can to get Andrea Dovizioso on an RS-GP in 2021.

The Spaniard has never hidden his admiration for Dovizioso's approach to racing and what he has achieved during seven and a half seasons at Ducati.

But last weekend's surprise news that the triple title runner-up will not renew with Ducati means Dovizioso is now on the market for 2021 – and Aprilia is now the only factory with a place still available, pending the outcome of Andrea Iannone's appeal against a doping ban.

"I said many times in the past, he's my favourite rider on the grid, how he approaches the races, how he works, his character," Espargaro said of Dovizioso.

"I'm super different, I'm a lot more up and down than him. I can learn a lot from Dovi as a rider, and also I think he can bring a lot of information here, so also our engineers can learn a lot. I think it would be fantastic, like a dream, to have Dovi as a team-mate. So for me, it would be fantastic.

"And for sure if I can be at the same level as him or even faster, that will improve my skills as a rider."

But is there a realistic chance it could happen?

"For me, it's clear that it's a real chance. It's the only factory available, and he will be more than welcome, we will treat him very well here," Espargaro smiled.

Told of those words, Dovizioso - who took his first victory of the season last Sunday at the Red Bull Ring – responded:

"I like when some other riders speak in a good way about you. Thank you for that. About Aprilia, it doesn’t change if Aleix has a good feeling with me. We will see about my future. At this moment I don’t have anything really clear."

KTM's Brno victory with rookie Brad Binder has left the RS-GP as the only machine on the grid yet to claim or race win or podium.

But Espargaro, 12th in Friday practice for the Styrian MotoGP, maintains this year's machine is the best Aprilia he's ever ridden and that 'the results will come'.

"I'm still very angry inside of myself, because I feel that this bike is much better. But the results are not arriving yet," Espargaro said.

"But I feel a lot better than last season, because for example in race one here in Austria, I was on the same pace as Valentino, Zarco, Morbidelli, and they were fighting in the second group of the race. But then there was a red flag.

"We need go step by step, try to ride in another circuit. Unfortunately, we miss the part of the calendar that I love the most, which is Qatar, Argentina, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, very long and fast circuits, so this is not helping us.

"And it's not easy to put the bike on the podium level, because the difference between the top 15 is half a second. But if we keep working like we are doing right now, the results will come."

There have also been rumours that KTM might try and find a place for Dovizioso, but they already have contracts for all four riders – Brad Binder, Miguel Oliveira, Iker Lecuona and Dovizioso's current team-mate Danilo Petrucci - next season.