Yamaha boss: ‘Keeping Valentino Rossi is priority’

Yamaha boss Masao Furusawa has insisted the top priority for the Japanese factory is to keep Valentino Rossi for the 2011 MotoGP world championship campaign.

The 31-year-old Italian has once again been linked with a dramatic switch to Ducati, though Rossi has constantly talked about his desire to remain with Yamaha for the remainder of his career.

The latest Rossi to Ducati rumour has emerged following intense speculation that 2007 world champion Casey Stoner is already a certainty to quit the Bologna factory and join Honda’s factory team next season.

Rossi himself has played down the speculation surrounding his future, once again stating his intention to ride a factory YZR-M1 for Yamaha in 2011.

The glare is on Yamaha more than any other team at present with the future of Rossi and team-mate Jorge Lorenzo undecided.

Rumour is rife that Lorenzo could move to Honda or Ducati, with reigning World Superbike champion Ben Spies gaining promotion to the factory Yamaha squad next season.

And Yamaha boss Masao Furusawa is certainly determined to make sure nine-times world champion Rossi is going nowhere.

Furusawa and Rossi have formed a rock solid and close relationship ever since the Italian quit Honda at the end of 2003 to try and transform Yamaha’s flagging fortunes.

Rossi has frequently said that he would not have been able to make Yamaha such a big success had it not been for the technical input and management of Furusawa, who completely revamped the race department in Japan to help Rossi win the title on a YZR-M1 in 2004, ’05, ’08 and ’09.

And Furusawa’s admiration for Rossi is universally known, with the Japanese boss constantly talking up the huge impact made by the Tavullia rider.

Furusawa told MCN: “ I need both riders and soon we have to decide. I would like to keep both of them but this depends on the decision of the riders.

“To be honest my priority is to keep Valentino more than Jorge. Valentino came to Yamaha in 2004 and he contributed a lot to us.

“He gets a lot of money from Yamaha but he also works very hard. I really appreciate his job and I’d rather keep Valentino more than Jorge.”