The second part, a competitive 2010 seat, is looking ever more likely, and a return to Gresini Honda would surely fit that bill.

Officially, Melandri is still waiting to hear if Hayate/Kawasaki will continue in MotoGP next year before looking elsewhere, but a factory Kawasaki return seems highly unlikely.

The first signs of any change in Kawasaki's reluctant MotoGP presence would surely be new parts for the Hayate project, something which - despite gentle pressure from Melandri - doesn't appear to have happened.

With rival machines continuing to improve, Melandri has claimed just one top ten finish in the four rounds since Le Mans. The 26-year-old also cracked his hand at the Catalunya test.

Gresini Honda hopes to make a decision on its second rider by the end of July. The MotoGP summer break starts after the British Grand Prix on July 26.

Additional reporting by Lynne Huntting.