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Petronas Yamaha SRT boss Razlan Razali has dismissed rumours that his team are in talks with Andrea Dovizioso for 2021, while discussions with Valentino Rossi seemingly remain at a stalemate despite the nine-time world champion’s insistence that he’s ready to sign for them.
Razali took to social media to deny the Dovizioso rumours as the Italian continues to hunt for a ride for next year after confirming that he’s parting ways with Ducati at the end of the current season.
Posting on Facebook, Razali categorically denied the rumours, stating: “Setting the record straight, we are not considering Dovi at all for 2021.”
The rumours linking Dovizioso to Petronas Yamaha have been circulating for a number of weeks, but remain nothing more than rumours – and could well be a tactic to put pressure on both Rossi and the Yamaha factory to hurry up and put pen to paper for 2021.
However, they were freshly fanned this week when Dovizioso confirmed at a Red Bull event in Milan to celebrate AlphaTauri’s Monza Formula 1 victory last weekend that he hoped to be fighting for the MotoGP title in 2021.
That seems increasingly unlikely, though, with the only non-Ducati options remaining unconfirmed for next year at Aprilia and Petronas Yamaha.
Aprilia has already indicated that it simply can’t afford to hire Dovizioso, with the three-time MotoGP runner-up not keen to significantly drop his asking price just to secure a grid spot.
Rumours have continued to circulate that suggest that there will be a major MotoGP announcement this weekend at the San Marino Grand Prix, with the timing suggesting that Rossi will finally and officially confirm his future in the series at his home race.
The whole process has been so far mired in contract delays as Rossi not only negotiates over finances, but also attempts to secure positions at the satellite team for his loyal crew.
According to The Race’s sources, the main sticking point is to do with the combination of spec of machinery and financial compensation.
Yamaha pledged early this year to fully support Rossi for 2021 even as they announced Fabio Quartararo as his factory team replacement, but it’s believed that that support is not limitless.
Rossi’s request for both a considerable salary and a full-factory specification bike has meant lawyers are involved in order for three parties time to hash out an acceptable deal.
