Yamaha target Toseland for 2008

Yamaha has placed James Toseland on a 2008 transfer target list.

Tech 3 Yamaha chief Herve Poncharal confirmed to MCN in Mugello that Toseland is on a shortlist of rider targets he has drawn up for the satellite team.

An approach to Toseland has been given the green light by Yamaha bosses after Poncharal held lengthy discussions with factory management about rider options for next season.

French GP winner Chris Vermeulen is also on the Tech 3 shortlist, and he’s also been approached by Kawasaki, as was revealed in MCN on Wednesday.

Rumours have emerged in Mugello, venue for this Sunday’s Italian GP, that Honda too is interested in hiring the Australian back from Suzuki’s factory MotoGP squad.

Toseland has already been strongly linked with a move to MotoGP with Honda, and Ducati recently confirmed they would make a fresh approach for the current World Superbike championship leader about a ride in the satellite D’Antin squad.

Poncharal’s revelation about Toseland comes after he told MCN his French-based Tech 3 Yamaha squad has signed a new contract to run Yamaha’s satellite MotoGP squad in the 2008 world championship.

A new deal was signed at last month’s French GP in Le Mans.

Poncharal said: “We have discussed riders just to make sure that people we might speak to would be acceptable to Yamaha, and also to make sure that the riders we are talking to are not the same ones that the factory team has targeted.

“Toseland is one of them on the list that Yamaha is happy for us to approach. James is a good guy but also a fast rider and it would be interesting to work with him.”

He refused to be drawn on what tyre brand his team will run in ’08, with Dunlop currently supplying tyres for Makoto Tamada and Sylvain Guintoli.

He also confirmed that his short-list of riders did not feature current world 250 champion Jorge Lorenzo.

The Spaniard has been heavily linked with a move to Yamaha, with some suggesting he’s already signed a pre-contract to switch next season.

If Yamaha is to land Lorenzo, it means he will join Valentino Rossi in the factory team with Poncharal admitting he is not on the Tech 3 list.

Yamaha is still refusing to officially confirm that they are locked in negotiations with the Fortuna Aprilia rider.