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Andrea Dovizioso has strongly hinted that he will replace Nicky Hayden in the factory Repsol Honda team next year.

The Italian, who currently rides for the satellite JiR team and has impressed throughout his rookie season in MotoGP, has been repeatedly linked with the works team in recent weeks, and is expected to be announced as Dani Pedrosa's 2009 teammate in due course.

When asked by television station Italia1 if he had signed a Repsol Honda deal, Dovizioso replied: "No, not yet, but I hope I will. You can't say what you're not allowed to..."

Hayden has had an increasingly fractious relationship with Pedrosa, and Dovizioso admitted that he is expecting similar problems when he is paired with the Spaniard.

"Yes, I think they'll try that in every way," Dovizioso replied when asked if he thought Pedrosa and manager Alberto Puig would make his life 'difficult'.

"No-one knows Pedrosa, in my opinion. He doesn't want to be known, he wants to live MotoGP in a different way compared to the others. That's the way he is.

"I don't think anything will change, but we'll see. I'd like to get to know him..."

Dovizioso led a MotoGP race for the first time today at Indianapolis, when he burst through from seventh on the grid to head the field on the opening lap, before later falling back to finish fifth. Hayden and Pedrosa took second and eighth respectively on the factory Hondas.