Britain's Cal Crutchlow has this evening confirmed he is in serious negotiatins with the factory Ducati MotoGP team to ride for them in 2013 but says his main priority is to remain with Yamaha if a works seat is available.

The Coventry man, who has spent a good portion of the last two weeks recovering from his Silverstone ankle fracture in a hyperbaric chamber on the Isle of Man, said that he wants to stay with Yamaha as they have had four good years together but added it would be remiss to turn down a works ride, especially with the added investment Audi could bring to the table.

"My priority is to stay with Yamaha. Now, if I think we deserve to be in a factory team, being fourth in the world championship when signatures are going on paper, then I think we should be in a factory team. If Yamaha can't offer me that then I will look elsewhere," said Crutchlow, speaking to bikesportnews.com.

"Yamaha are not stupid, I have had four great years with them and I'd like to stay, and they know that. I have been loyal to them as they have to me, so hopefully we can see what is going on very soon. Whether I ride for Yamaha or not next year, I won't fall out of love with them. It depends on where Valentino is going.

I came to MotoGP with ambitions of being a world champion and you're not going to win on a privateer bike because the factories won't let you. You are not going to beat Lorenzo on a privateer bike. Whether I am at the stage of beating Lorenzo for a world championship, I know at the moment maybe next year might be a bit different.

I'mn also being sensible but if you warrant the chance then you should have it. It doesn't mean Ducati is my second choice, I'm not disrespecting them in that way, my first choice is to stay with Yamaha as I am with them now.

"At the moment, the factory Ducati is maybe not as good as my privateer Yamaha but they are not going to want to finish where they are finishing. It has been bought by a decent company, so they are going to want to put stuff into it. Hopefully that will be the case if it ends up as the option to go there."