No Valencia wild card for Colin Edwards

Colin Edwards has raced in his last MotoGP battle after it was confirmed there is not going to be a final farewell appearance in Valencia next weekend.

The Texan had hoped to end his stellar international career with a wild card appearance in the season’s final round in Spain on November 9.

Double World Superbike champion Edwards has not raced since his home round in Indianapolis back in mid-August when the Forward Racing squad dropped him after a poor final season ahead of his retirement at the end of 2014.

Edwards, who is now under contract to Yamaha as the Japanese factory’s permanent test rider, will attend the Valencia round, but he won’t get an opportunity to line-up with former factory Yamaha teammate Valentino Rossi for one final appearance.

Forward Yamaha boss Giovanni Cuzari told MCN: “Unfortunately it is not possible. I don’t have the money to make this investment and Yamaha doesn’t have the bike to supply me for the wild card. We can only do it if Yamaha help us, otherwise no way unfortunately.

“We need more human resources. We can’t touch the Yamaha engine, so we need people who can work on the engine for a third bike.”

Yamaha had already ruled out the option of running a fifth factory YZR-M1 for Edwards, with the Japanese factory boss Lin Jarvis saying: “There won’t be an M1 from Yamaha. There might be a Forward Racing bike if he chooses to ride and if they choose to supply. It is entirely down to the team.”