Ducati have confirmed Andrea Dovizioso as Valentino Rossi’s replacement on a two-year contract.

Seven-time MotoGP world champion Rossi is to leave the Italian manufacturer at the end of 2012 to return to Yamaha after a miserable two-season spell.

Britain’s Cal Crutchlow was among the contenders to get the ride, but instead it is his current Tech 3 Yamaha team-mate Dovizioso who will fill the vacancy.

Crutchlow started the season strongly, but he has been outperformed by Dovizioso in recent races, with the former factory Honda rider picking up five podium finishes so far this season, the latest coming at Indianapolis last weekend.

Frontline job

Dovizioso, 26, had been hopeful of stepping up to Yamaha’s factory squad for 2013, but Rossi’s move to partner Jorge Lorenzo left him to look elsewhere for a frontline machine.

And despite Rossi’s travails ad-justing to the Desmosedici, team boss Filippo Preziosi is confident Dovizioso can be a valuable addition when he teams up with Nicky Hayden next season.

He said: “Andrea’s technical sensibility and test-riding abilities are of great value, as are his talent and determination.

“The knowledge that we will have him on our team and be able to count on his collaboration serves as an additional incentive to continue with the growth and development of our MotoGP project.

“I’m pleased that he has chosen to join our team. He is aware of the work to be done, and he ap-proaches it with enthusiasm and confidence, which are fundamental requirements for achieving success and for competing in this challenging championship.”