Ducati and Valentino Rossi rumours not worrying for Yamaha

Yamaha insist it won’t worry about incessant speculation linking nine-times world champion Valentino Rossi with a switch to Ducati in 2011.

The Italian has flirted with a move to Ducati in the past but always remained loyal to Yamaha since he joined them in a shock move from Honda in 2004.

Before his championship wrecking crash in Mugello recently, Rossi had remained adamant that he wanted to commit to a new deal with Yamaha.

But speculation is increasing at every race that the nine-times world champion is seriously contemplating a Ducati transfer. 

Yamaha boss Lin Jarvis said: “Realistically Ducati is the only real option for him. To change from Yamaha to Honda doesn’t have much sense in my opinion. I think our team is better, I think our bike is better and I think our approach is better so I don’t really see a big threat from Honda. You never know but I don’t see that as a motivation to go.”

But Jarvis said he understood why Rossi could be perhaps tempted by a move to Ducati.

He added: “The motivation to be an Italian winning on an Italian bike I can imagine could remain a dream. I think it is a dream for the Italian manufacturer and the public and the sponsor they have. There’s an attractive element to that discussion and rumour but we’ll see.

“I’m not particularly worried about it because I can’t influence it. It has no sense to worry about what we can’t influence. The only influence we can have is to propose our best package and Valentino needs to decide what they want to do. From Yamaha’s side his injury doesn’t influence our desire to keep both Valentino and Jorge (Lorenzo) for the future.”