Honda confident Rossi will sign

Valentino Rossi’s contract bust-up with Honda looks like drawing to an amicable conclusion, ending speculation that the reigning world champion might actually walk away to join a rival.

Both parties expected the problems to be solved by now, but Rossi’s revised contract hasn’t been sent from Japan to Honda Europe in time.

But Honda boss Carlo Fiorani says the delay has nothing to do with more disagreements, it is simply that one of the key HRC bosses involved in the negotiations fell ill last week.

Fiorani said: ” I have been speaking to Valentino every day, so there is no problem on a personal basis.”

It seems that Honda’s Japanese contingent involved in the delicate talks are so confident that Rossi will agree to the fresh contract that they are not even bothering to fly back to Italy next week to oversee the signing of the deal.

Rossi himself has been laid low by a flu bug.