Breaking news
MotoGP
Petronas rules out Rossi/Lorenzo dream combo for 2021
Petronas Yamaha has suggested an all-start MotoGP line-up of Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo for 2021 is now unlikely, as it looks set to retain Franco Morbidelli.
Lewis Duncan Oriol Puigdemont
Edited: May 5, 2020, 3:21 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Seven-time MotoGP world champion Rossi has lost his place at the works Yamaha team for next year to Fabio Quartararo, but has been promised full factory support at the Petronas SRT squad should he choose to continue.
Last week, Rossi admitted he would have to make a decision on his future before the coronavirus-delayed 2020 campaign begins, but strongly hinted towards extending his career.
Retired three-time world champion and current Yamaha test rider Lorenzo has also been linked with a full-time return in 2021 with Petronas – though both parties have moved to dismiss this.
“To reinforce the stability that exists in the team, I think it’s important to retain Franco,” Petronas SRT boss Razlan Razali told Motorsport.com. “It is possible that we will close the renewal even before the first race.”
Expanding on this, Razali says that with the loss of Quartararo to Yamaha, fielding an all-new line-up would be “very risky.”
“This season is very atypical and also in relation to the choice of riders for next year, because surely decisions will have to be made before they can be evaluated [on track],” Razali added.
“Having two new riders next year, we consider it to be very risky. So we prefer to stay with one of those we already know. Hence the idea of keeping Franky.
"This is a race who gives very good information about the behaviour of the bike, both to us and Yamaha. He already did it in 2019 and also during the tests this winter.”
Read Also:
Morbidelli, the 2017 Moto2 champion, ended his sophomore campaign in 2019 10th in the standings having managed a best finish of fifth on three occasions.
Razali recently stated his team would look to retain Yamaha-bound Quartararo should the 2020 season be completely cancelled.
So far, Yamaha (Maverick Vinales and Quartararo), Honda (Marc Marquez), Suzuki (Alex Rins and Joan Mir) and Avintia (Tito Rabat) have riders signed for the 2021 season.
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Rossi has “more potential” than 2019 with new crew chief
Next article Talks to place Rossi at Petronas SRT get underway
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Lewis Duncan
MotoGP 2025: Full rider line-up revealed
MotoGP
MotoGP Sep 19, 2024
MotoGP 2025: Full rider line-up revealed
A year on from Marquez’s Germany MotoGP meltdown, has Honda improved?
MotoGP
MotoGP
German GP
Jul 5, 2024
A year on from Marquez’s Germany MotoGP meltdown, has Honda improved?
What’s behind MotoGP’s right-hander chaos in Germany practice?
MotoGP
MotoGP
German GP
Jul 5, 2024
What’s behind MotoGP’s right-hander chaos in Germany practice?
More from
Valentino Rossi
Valentino Rossi in new autobiography: '2015 still hurts, Marc Marquez wanted me to lose'
MotoGP
MotoGP
Qatar GP
3 d
Valentino Rossi in new autobiography: '2015 still hurts, Marc Marquez wanted me to lose'
The closest finish in MotoGP history: Toni Elias over Valentino Rossi 20 years ago
MotoGP
MotoGP
Portuguese GP
27 d
The closest finish in MotoGP history: Toni Elias over Valentino Rossi 20 years ago
Marc Marquez to read Valentino Rossi’s new book “when I retire” from MotoGP
MotoGP
MotoGP
San Marino GP
2 mo
Marc Marquez to read Valentino Rossi’s new book “when I retire” from MotoGP
More from
SIC Racing Team
Vierge rejects SRT offer to make MotoGP debut at Aragon
MotoGP
MotoGP
Aragon GP
Aug 30, 2021
Vierge rejects SRT offer to make MotoGP debut at Aragon
How SRT can convince Dovizioso to join its MotoGP team
MotoGP
MotoGP Aug 26, 2021
How SRT can convince Dovizioso to join its MotoGP team
The Moto3 rider set for the great leap to MotoGP in 2022
MotoGP
MotoGP Aug 13, 2021
The Moto3 rider set for the great leap to MotoGP in 2022
Latest news
Carson Hocevar and Cleetus McFarland win LeMullets 2026 in epic finish
General
Misc General 4 h
Carson Hocevar and Cleetus McFarland win LeMullets 2026 in epic finish
TV ratings released for NASCAR Cup season finale
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Homestead-Miami
11 h
TV ratings released for NASCAR Cup season finale
Chase Elliott's car chief leaves Hendrick for NASCAR Truck crew chief role
NASCAR Truck
NSTR NASCAR Truck
Homestead
11 h
Chase Elliott's car chief leaves Hendrick for NASCAR Truck crew chief role
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe