Gossip: Lorenzo to Honda, Pedrosa to Yamaha?

UPDATE: Dani Pedrosa now confirmed as leaving Repsol Honda.

Mugello winner Jorge Lorenzo said his Ducati win came too late to keep him at the team in 2019, having begun the Italian weekend by announcing he would not retire and is to have an unnamed 'good bike' next year.

Given Sepang and Petronas are in talks about a 2019 MotoGP entry, Lorenzo was soon tipped to become the lead rider in the possible new satellite Yamaha team, re-joining the manufacturer with which he won his three MotoGP titles.

However Sepang CEO Razlan Razali made clear they were far from a final agreement on a MotoGP grid place and yet to speak with either Yamaha or Lorenzo.

And perhaps Lorenzo's victory on Sunday has opened up another exciting option...

Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Lorenzo is to become Marc Marquez's team-mate at Repsol Honda, with Dani Pedrosa moving to the potential Petronas Yamaha outfit.

Putting Lorenzo and Marquez in the same team had looked unlikely - not least for budget reasons - but it would create a 'dream team' line-up with a combined seven (perhaps eight) MotoGP titles.

It would also give Lorenzo the chance to remain a factory MotoGP rider and win MotoGP races for three different manufacturers.

Marquez repeated at Mugello he would like the strongest team-mate possible and that the rider would be Honda's decision.

HRC has cast it's net far and wide in search of a replacement for Pedrosa, currently in his 13th consecutive year at the squad, but only twelfth in the standings after a third DNF of the season at Mugello. However riders such as Johann Zarco and Joan Mir are heading for other teams.

Officially, Ducati is yet to confirm that its big money partnership with Lorenzo is over, but the Spaniard's seat looks to have gone to Danilo Petrucci for 2019... Unless Sunday's win prompts a dramatic last-minute change of plan.

Indeed, Speedweek reports that Ducati's Paolo Ciabatti approached Lorenzo's manager after the race to say the 2019 seat alongside Andrea Dovizioso remained free, only to be told "now it's too late".