Marquez underwent a third operation on his broken right arm in December that banned him from the 2020 MotoGP campaign and that will likely incapacitate him by spring.
With the season set to kick off on March 28 with the first of two races in Qatar as part of a partially revised calendar, Honda will likely have to put in a replacement for Marquez as he continues his rehabilitation.
Dovizioso is currently serving a sabbatical year after losing his factory Ducati seat late last year. The 15-time MotoGP winner is a free agent, should Honda knock.
Although no discussions have been held yet, Battistella says the training regime Dovizioso is running in the lead up to a planned motocross racing campaign in 2021 will be ready to revert to MotoGP action if necessary.
“[Honda] I haven’t called yet, but if I do, Andrea is really ready, ”Battistella told Sky Italy.
“He trains motocross at an amateur level, but he does it with the same intensity as if he were preparing for the MotoGP preseason.
“We will work this year to fully return in 2022.
“As for Honda, and to make it clear that both Andrea and I feel deeply [sad] About what happened to Marc, it is clear that she [Honda] evaluate exactly when it can reappear.
“In my opinion, they are rightly afraid of making a mistake in such a delicate situation.
“The next month will be crucial for your decision. For our part, we have declined all offers to become test drivers, leaving us free to do other things and ready to get back on the grid. “
Also read:
Marquez admitted late last year that his attempts to return just days after his first surgery after falling at the Spanish Grand Prix were a mistake.
HRC test driver Stefan Bradl started working for him from the Czech GP, and Marquez ‘crew boss Santi Hernandez, who worked with Bradl last year, recently told Motorsport.com the German was a better option to replace Marquez than Dovizioso.
Dovizioso made his MotoGP debut on Honda machines in 2008 before moving up to the works group from 2009 to 2011 and taking his first premier class win at Donington in 2009.