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Motorcycling-Dovizioso to test with Aprilia MotoGP team through 2021

FILE PHOTO: MotoGP - French Grand Prix

(Reuters) - Three times MotoGP championship runner-up Andrea Dovizioso will test for Aprilia through 2021 ahead of a possible return to the grid next year.

The 35-year-old Italian is taking a year out of racing after leaving Ducati at the end of last season and has so far carried out two tests with Aprilia in Spain and Italy.

Aprilia said in a statement on Friday that Dovizioso, winner of 15 races in the top category, would now have a structured series of outings starting from Misano in June.

"I'm pleased that Aprilia Racing asked me to continue the work we started in Jerez and to be able to provide my contribution to developing the bike," the rider said.

"I think this will be beneficial for both of us -- for me, to continue training on a MotoGP bike in anticipation of a possible return in 2022, and for Aprilia to receive what they feel to be interesting information."

Dovizioso said last November he aimed to return to MotoGP "as soon as I find a project driven by the same passion and ambition that I have and within an organization that shares my same objectives, values ​​and working methods."

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Pritha Sarkar)