Dovizioso making Tech 3 MotoGP podium history

Just nine races into the 2012 MotoGP season and new Tech 3 signing Andrea Dovizioso has already scored twice as many podiums in a season than any other rider in the team's history.

Tech 3 graduated to the 500cc class after finishing first and second with Olivier Jacque and Shinya Nakano in the 2000 250cc World Championship.

Always on satellite Yamaha machinery, initially two-strokes and then the four-stroke M1 from late-2002, the following list shows the number of podiums per season by each Tech 3 competitor.

But while Dovi has scored four third-places in the last five races, he is not yet the highest finishing Tech 3 rider in a MotoGP race. That honour goes to Texans' Colin Edwards (2009) and Ben Spies (2010) who both claimed second place finishes for the team.

Dovizioso is currently fourth in the world championship, the top satellite rider and the second best M1 competitor after Factory rider Jorge Lorenzo. If Dovi can hold the position until the end of the year it would be a new high for a Tech 3 rider.

Dovizioso's team-mate Cal Crutchlow is 13 points and one place behind the Italian with a best finish of fourth (twice) during his second year at Tech 3. Tech 3's Moto2 star Bradley Smith will move up to the MotoGP team next year, but his team-mate - like the second factory seat - is still to be decided.

Tech 3: 500cc/MotoGP podiums:

2012*:
4th Championship Andrea Dovizioso: 4 podiums
5th Championship Cal Crutchlow: 0

2011:
9th Colin Edwards: 1
12th Cal Crutchlow: 0

2010:
6th Ben Spies: 2
11th Colin Edwards: 0

2009:
5th Colin Edwards: 1
11th James Toseland: 0

2008:
7th Colin Edwards: 2
11th James Toseland: 0

2007:
16th Sylvain Guintoli: 0
18th Makoto Tamada: 0

2006:
15th Carlos Checa: 0
18th James Ellison: 0

2005:
12th Toni Elias: 0
16th Ruben Xaus: 0

2004:
12th Marco Melandri: 2
13th Norick Abe: 0

2003:
9th Alex Barros: 1
12th Olivier Jacque: 0

2002:
10th Olivier Jacque: 0
11th Shinya Nakano: 0

2001:
5th Shinya Nakano: 1
15th Olivier Jacque: 0

* After nine of 18 rounds.