MotoGP Gossip: Honda dismiss Lorenzo retirement rumours

- Honda boss Tetsuhiro Kuwata has dismissed rumours Jorge Lorenzo could retire due to his ongoing injury battle along with his current struggles adapting to the RC213V. The five-time world champion signed a two-year contract with Repsol Honda last year and the HRC chief expects him to honour his deal. (Marca)

- Following Marco Melandri’s announcement that he would retire at the end of the 2019 World Superbike championship, former team boss Fausto Gresini has led the tributes to the Italian. Gresini feels Melandri deserves more world titles than just his sole 2002 250cc crown having finished runner-up in the 1999 125cc world championship and 2005 MotoGP world championship. (GPOne.com)

- Danilo Petrucci has passed his motorcycle test and now holds a road licence. The Ducati MotoGP rider joked during the pre-event German round press conference that it was the only thing he was nervous about ahead of Sachsenring. (Gazzetta Dello Sport)

- Valentino Rossi reflects on the worst-ever half of a MotoGP season in his entire career with just 80 points from the opening nine rounds. The nine-time world champion has also fallen behind Maverick Vinales as the top Yamaha rider in the 2019 standings. (Gazzetta Dello Sport)

- Olympic and world champion skier Marcel Hirscher has been given a special outing on a Red Bull KTM RC16 MotoGP bike at the Red Bull Ring. The Austrian spoke of his huge admiration for MotoGP riders and singled out Valentino Rossi. (Speedweek)

- MotoGP’s test teams take centre stage during the summer break with KTM in action with Dani Pedrosa and Mika Kallio at Brno on July 9-11 before Pedrosa goes solo for the Austrian brand on July 22-23 at the Red Bull Ring. Ducati and Suzuki also have testing action planned later on this month ahead of the restart of the MotoGP season. (MotoGP.com)