IN
THE
WIND
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ROSSI TO RACE FOR
ANOTHER TWO YEARS
V
alentino Rossi has yet
to confirm a contract—
but it is now all but certain
he will sign up at Yamaha
for 2019 and 2020. This
was confirmed obliquely by
several comments during
the Qatar test weekend.
The first broad hint came
in response to questions
as to whether he would be
starting his long-rumored
MotoGP team with Yama-
ha, to take over the Iwata
manufacturers' satellite
effort from Tech3 next
season.
Rossi's VR46 brand runs
teams in Moto3 and from
last year also Moto2, and
a move to the premier class after
retiring as a rider has long been
rumored. But while the unex-
pected availability of a satellite
Yamaha team, "would have been
a great opportunity," he said at
Qatar, "in the next two years we
will not make a MotoGP team
with Yamaha." He told Dorna's
interviewer this was a project for
after his retirement.
"I will probably race for the
next two years, so we will talk
about the team later," Rossi said.
His decision to stay on to the
age of 41 does leave Yamaha
with some difficulties, with the
other factory seat already com-
mitted to Maverick Vinales until
the end of 2020.
This follows news that Marc
Marquez had signed on for
another two years with Repsol
Honda, and the top factory seats
are getting snapped up even
before the first race.
But the second HRC seat is
still open, with Dani Pedrosa (an
incumbent since 2006) possibly
due for replacement. Ducati's
factory riders Andrea Dovizioso
and Jorge Lorenzo are likely to
stay, with team management
saying negotiations would start
soon.
Suzuki is likely to retain Alex
Rins, and possibly also An-
drea Iannone, if the self-styled
"Maniac" can produce consistent
strength this year.
This leaves KTM and possibly
Aprilia as factory team destina-
tions.
Meanwhile, the shock an-
nouncement that the satellite
Tech3 team is to break a 20-year
association with Yamaha leaves
the Japanese factory seeking
a new partner for their "junior"
squad, but with no tempting spot
in the factory team to attract
quality management or riders.
Michael Scott
Can't keep him down! Valentino
Rossi will likely race on to the
grand age of 41 in MotoGP.
