Yamaha made their moves really quickly by renewing Maverick Vinales’ contract for other 2 years and that news seemed to be already a big one but today we had a even bigger one as long as Iwata’s crew announced the engagement of Fabio Quartararo as a new Factory Yamaha Rider for 2021 replacing Valentino Rossi. Japanese Team made their line up for 2021 and 2022 season, but at the same time forced the Italian to made a choice about his future, who surely will not be in the Factory Team anymore.

Everyone after the announce of Fabio Quartararo to be next Maverick Vinales’ teammate was wondering about the future of Valentino Rossi, who could even decide to retire from MotoGP racing at the end of 2020 season. With an official statement, Yamaha said that the Italian and the Team mutually agreed to see what it will happen during the Championship and that the decision will be taken mid-2020.

There is still a chance to see Valentino Rossi competing in MotoGP for the next season so, but it is all in 9 Time World Champion hands. Anyway, Lin Jarvis said that there would not be any problem at all and that he would have a Factory bike, otherwise Yamaha and Rossi will still collaborate together off the track with the young riders and having the Italian as a Yamaha brand ambassador.

These are Jarvis’ words: “If he feels confident and continues to race, we will provide a Factory-spec YZR-M1 bike and full engineering support. If he decides to retire, we will continue and expand our collaborations off track with the young riders‘ training programmes of the Riders Academy and the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp, and with him as a Yamaha brand ambassador”

Also Valentino Rossi had something to say: "Yamaha asked me to make a choice at the beginning of the year, but I needed more time as I told at the end of 2019 season and so Yamaha made their moves and closed the negotations they had. I am happy anyway, because, in case I will decide to keep racing, I will have a factory bike with a contract as a factory rider"