Valentino Rossi’s recent slump in form has prompted many and varied rumours on whether or not he will being forward his retirement to the end of this year instead of racing to the termination of his Yamaha contract in 2020.

Lin Jarvis hasn’t helped matter by effectively stating that Rossi is no longer the future of the team but father Graziano has basically said the rumours are all bollocks. Graziano, a GP winner in his day, says The Doctor is in tip-top shape physically and mentally, and will pay no attention to what is being written by mostly the Italian media, who do like to stick the knife in at every opportunity.

Rossi has, of course, been through a slump before when he joined Ducati, so it isn’t something the Tavullia man hasn’t experienced. He is, right now, giving it the biggun in Ibiza with his Doris, whose name escapes, and the likes of Danilo Petrucci, whose expired warrant card will probably come in handy.

Jarvis, meanwhile has said Maverick Vinales needs some help to maintain a more even mental state instead of the huge highs and lows he appears to experience. He should have more the appearance of a man who has a recently-sliced lemon shoved in both orifices at the same time, like his boss.

Ducati boss Paolo Ciabatti has taken a swipe at the technical prowess of HRC, saying the Repsol-backed team wouldn’t have won a MotoGP title since 2011 had it not been for the talents of Marc Marquez. “we all know that Márquez is an exceptional driver and that Honda would not have won a title without him since Stoner in 2011. Without Márquez, their numbers would look very different.” Ooooooooo, hark at her, etc,

Aprilia technical boss Romano Albesiano has promised a technical ‘revolution’ for MotoGP 2020 that will begin at the Brno test with all manner of engines, swingarms and the like being heaved at their three riders. From that, the new RS-GP will be born with a debut after the season finishes.

The firm’s big boss Massimo Rivola has said there will be some changes in the team with a new working method, more experienced technicians but he didn’t mention the departure of Andrea Iannone. It is the ex-Ferrari man’s first year in charge and 2020 will be the big test.

KTM boss Pit Beirer has declared the puppy walking period for his team in MotoGP is now over and they really need to get their shit together for 2020. Previously, Beirer has ruled out a change to a more conventional ally beam frame - the same as everyone else uses - instead of the pig iron trellis one that adorns the RC-16, but that may change in the near future.

It would appear that rider Johann Zarco is pinning his hopes on test rider Dani Pedrosa to come up with a solution to why he simply can’t ride the bike as he wants. He says he has followed the tiny Spaniard and observed his riding style but even the little fella has said the bike needs some work to get it close to the top slots.

Cal Crutchlow has not had the chance to test a new RC213V chassis because crash-happy Jorge Lorenzo has broken them all. Marquez ran one at the Barcelona test but no-one knows if it is better as Marquez said it probably wasn’t, which probably means it probably was. He is sneaky.

Lorenzo’s injuries are frustrating for him and the team but no-one in the Repsol camp believes the Spaniard will take his ball home at the end of the season. “We believe in Jorge and we respect our contracts,” said HRC Director Tetsuhiro Kuwata. However, the recent and heroic form of Taka Nakagami, and his nationality, would be a huge boost for Honda should Lorenzo ‘fall down the stairs’ over winter.

Fabio Quartararo’s manager is already in talks with Yamaha about the youngster’s future and says the brand has to be very careful what they intend to do with him. Meaning, he has to be very careful about his commission on future contracts.

Miguel Oliveira has apparently drawn some unfortunate comparisons with footballist Cristiano Ronaldo as he is the only rider worth his salt the country has produced recently. Hopefully he can be a better role model than a footballer as, let’s face it, they’re not the greatest of human beings…