“Gut feeling” that Yamaha will succeed in pursuit of a satellite team
“For me, it makes sense for VR46 to push for factory bikes..."
Rumours spread through the paddock at the Spanish MotoGP about the fate of several satellite teams.
Yamaha are heavily pushing to acquire a second team, alongside their factory team, to double their presence on the 2025 grid.
Gresini, VR46 and Pramac - the trio of Ducati satellite teams - have all been linked.
“It changes literally by the day and depending on who you speak to in the paddock,” Neil Hodgson said on TNT Sports in Jerez.
“My gut feeling is that we’ll see another Yamaha team. It would make sense.”
Sylvain Guintoli said: “There are talks of Pramac going to Yamaha.
“I think this is very much depending on who gets the two factory Ducatis.
“If VR46 push for two factory Ducatis, and get them, then Pramac won’t carry on. They won’t accept bikes from the year before.
“For me, it makes sense for VR46 to push for factory bikes.
“With the stature of the team, and how good they’ve been in the past year, maybe it’s something that could happen. We don’t know.
“But we do know that there will only be four [factory-spec Ducatis] so they can’t be at Pramac and VR46.”
Pramac and VR46 are out of contract with Ducati this year, and are in talks over their future.
VR46 reportedly rejected Yamaha’s advances, despite the mutual link of Valentino Rossi.
Pramac have an option in their current Ducati deal to stay for two more years with factory-spec machinery but no confirmation has arrived yet.
It has been mooted that Pramac could choose the investment that Yamaha may be willing to make, rather than stay with Ducati.
Gresini are contracted with Ducati for another year but, in Jerez, were the subject of surprise links to Yamaha.
Yamaha boss Lin Jarvis is adamant that the Japanese manufacturer will succeed in their pursuit of a second team for 2025.