Yamaha planning to retain both Rossi and Lorenzo
Added on Tuesday, May 25th, 2010 by Carole Nash Editor
Yamaha planning to retain both Rossi and Lorenzo
Yamaha boss Lin Jarvis has insisted that the team is looking to retain both Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi for next season, despite speculation linking both riders to new teams next season.
Both Rossi and Lorenzo are out of contract at the end of the season and, with talk of rider moves starting earlier this year, both riders have been linked to rides with both Honda and Ducati respectively.
The speculation is fuelled further by suggestions that world champion Rossi is uncomfortable with his main title rival being part of the same team, speculation which intensified at the end of last season when Rossi appeared to issue an “ultimatum” to Yamaha during a television with BBC Sport that he would not sign with Yamaha if retained Lorenzo in 2011. Rossi later claimed that his words were misinterpreted.
But Jarvis claims that there is nothing to stop Yamaha retaining both of their current riders, insisting that the finance is there to employ both but that they would not be drawn into a “bidding war” with Ducati.
“They cost too much together? I don’t think it’s just a matter of money,” Jarvis was quoted as saying by Gazzetta dello Sport.
“We can give them an adequate retainer for their value, plus a very interesting technical situation and bike.
“I don’t like market talk so early in the season,” he added. “However, we must accept it, so we are doing our talks and we hope to be able to define the 2011 team by mid season, let’s say by Laguna Seca, in order to be able to focus on results during the second half of the season.”
“We certainly have no interest in fighting over the retainer. Fiat are very happy and they would like to go on with the same people. In any case, we’ll sort out the riders first.”
