Motorcycling-Ducati confirm Dovizioso until end of 2018

May 17 (Reuters) - Italian Andrea Dovizioso will stay with Ducati for the next two MotoGP seasons with Andrea Iannone departing, the team announced on Tuesday ahead of their home grand prix at Mugello this weekend. Ducati said in a statement that Dovizioso, who has been with the team since 2013, will partner reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo when the Spaniard moves from Yamaha at the end of the season. Dovizioso, who has signed for 2017 and 2018, has made eight podium appearances for Ducati to date. Iannone will leave at the end of the year. "It's never easy to take a decision like this one, especially when you have two great riders like the two Andreas in your team," said Ducati boss Luigi Dall'Igna. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Neville Dalton)