Yamaha executives are certainly doing all they can to keep the bed warm. "We have two big challenges this year," team manager Davide Brivio said in the Fiat Yamaha hospitality unit today. "The first is to get back the championship, and then we have to convince Valentino to remain."
"We will evaluate the first half of this season, and then Valentino will make up his mind for the future," Lin Jarvis, managing director of Yamaha Motor Racing, said.
He added: "I think there is every chance we could stay together in the future. Valentino has recently made comments about being positively pleased with Yamaha's work over the winter. He is confident with the team and he likes Yamaha as a manufacturer."
The crux of the matter is whether Rossi believes that Yamaha can make its YZR-M1 competitive with the Marlboro Ducati - or a resurgent Honda RC212V. Where would Valentino go if he decided to wander?
Paddock wags are pointing out that Ichiro Yoda, one of the engineers responsible for the creation of the YZR, is now Kawasaki's racing director. But at this early stage of the season, any conjecture about Rossi's future remains strictly supposition.
Friday am - Eurosport Faces MotoGP Axe
British fans could lose Eurosport's comprehensive coverage of MotoGP unless talks between the Paris-based channel and Dorna, the commercial rights holders to the series, are successful here at
Jerez.
Dorna is said to be seeking more money, and can claim that the BBC already covers MotoGP on terrestrial television in the UK. But Eurosport takes the sport to nearly 60 countries in 18 languages, and gives MotoGP exposure in regions where it would be unlikely to achieve terrestrial coverage.
British Eurosport's commentary team of Randy Mamola, Toby Moody and Julian Ryder is massively popular with racing fans in the UK, and provide many more hours of coverage than the
BBC.
