Valentino Rossi’s plans for his MotoGP future have been put on hold after Yamaha signed Fabio Quartararo to the factory team alongside Maverick Vinales.

It is believed The Doctor has an option to simply do a swap with Quartararo but it is doubtful he will have the motivation to run in a non-factory team and is more likely to go into car racing.

“For reasons dictated by the riders’ market, Yamaha asked me at the beginning of the year to make a decision regarding my future. Consistent with what I said during the last season, I confirmed that I didn’t want to rush any decision and needed more time,” said Rossi.

“Yamaha has acted accordingly and concluded the ongoing negotiations. It is clear that after the last technical changes and with the arrival of my new crew chief, my first goal is to be competitive this year and to continue my career as a MotoGP rider also in 2021.

“Before doing so, I need to have some answers that only the track and the first few races can give me. I’m happy that, should I decide to continue, Yamaha is ready to support me in all respects, giving me a factory-spec bike and a factory contract.

“In the first tests I will do my best to do a good job together with my team and be ready for the start of the season.”