Yamaha rubbishes Ducati swoop for Jorge Lorenzo

Yamaha boss Lin Jarvis has strongly denied rumours that double MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo is close to clinching a shock switch to Ducati for 2015.

A wheel hasn’t even been turned in anger in 2014 yet, but with every top rider out of contract at the end of the year, speculation is already rife about the future prospects for the likes of Lorenzo and factory Yamaha teammate Valentino Rossi.

Reports in Spain earlier this week suggested that Lorenzo had agreed a pre-contract agreement with struggling Bologna factory Ducati for 2015.

Ducati did make a big money offer to Lorenzo during Casey Stoner’s illness absence in the summer of 2009, but he wasn’t tempted to jump off a YZR-M1 to a Desmosedici that has struggled ever since to be a threat to Honda and Yamaha.

On the eve of the unveiling of its 2014 YZR-M1 livery in Jakarta, Indonesia today, Yamaha boss Lin Jarvis denied Lorenzo was already in advanced talks with Ducati.

Lorenzo has become Yamaha’s talisman and his incalculable value to the Japanese brand was blindingly obvious again last season.

With eight wins, he was the standout YZR-M1 rider and his final tally of 330-points was a record for a rider that finished runner-up in the world championship.

His huge importance to the Yamaha cause was emphasised again by his team boss Wilco Zeelenberg, who told MCN: “It is very important to keep Jorge. We are so impressed with his performances. We show him a lot of respect and he knows we have him at the top of the list and we know other manufacturers can see he has special skills. But I would hate to see Jorge leave Yamaha.”

Speaking to the TMCBlog in Jakarta, Jarvis broke Yamaha’s silence on the Ducati link for Lorenzo, who has spent his entire premier class career with the Japanese factory.

Jarvis told TMCBlog: “I don’t think Jorge sign any deal with Ducati. Will Ducati make him a proposal? Maybe. But right now there is no truth of this rumour and hopefully Jorge will stay with us in the future.”