Breaking news
MotoGP
Yamaha won’t replace Rossi for second Aragon MotoGP race
Yamaha has confirmed it will not field a replacement for Valentino Rossi in next weekend’s MotoGP Teruel Grand Prix, ending speculation of a potential Jorge Lorenzo comeback.
Lewis Duncan
Edited: Oct 18, 2020, 11:10 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Nine-time grand prix world champion Rossi tested positive for COVID-19 at his home in Tavullia, Italy on Thursday and was ruled out of this weekend’s Aragon GP.
Due to the Italian Government’s rule regarding COVID-19, any person who tests positive for the virus must observe a 10-day quarantine period from the moment they receive their positive PCR result.
With the second Aragon GP weekend just five days away, Rossi will not be back in action until November’s European Grand Prix at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit near Valencia.
Rossi’s absence lead to speculation three-time MotoGP world champion Lorenzo could make a surprise comeback to racing next weekend in the Teruel GP.
After retiring from racing at the end of last year, Lorenzo returned to Yamaha as its official test rider.
However, Lorenzo has completed just four days of running on the M1 this year in February at Sepang and last week at the Algarve track familiarisation.
All of his outings have been on 2019 Yamaha, with his best lap in the Algarve test some four seconds slower than the Aprilia of Aleix Espargaro.
MotoGP’s rules on replacement riders state: “Teams must make every reasonable effort to provide a qualified substitute rider to fulfil their entry obligations within 10 days of withdrawal.”
As the 10-day period has not passed, Yamaha is not obliged to field a replacement, but can also reasonably argue that it has no qualified substitute.
Yamaha also explained its decision was motivated by a desire not to add additional pressure on its reduced staff numbers at events as a result of MotoGP’s COVID-19 protocols to “adapt a new rider” to the bike.
As a result, Maverick Vinales – who starts today’s Aragon GP from second – will be Yamaha’s only factory team representative next weekend.
Rossi’s COVID-19 diagnosis comes a week after six members of Yamaha’s technical staff, including project leader Takahiro Sumi, were placed in quarantine ahead of the French GP after one of them tested positive for the virus.
Tony Arbolino has been forced to miss this weekend’s Aragon Moto3 GP despite testing negative for COVID-19 as he was sat close to someone on a plane who did have the virus.
Arbolino and Rossi follow Moto2 frontrunner Jorge Martin in missing races due to COVID-19, after the Ajo KTM rider was forced out of the Misano double-header after testing positive.
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 Suzuki’s Mir expects a “great fight” with Yamahas in Aragon GP
Next article Aragon MotoGP: Rins wins from Marquez, disaster for Quartararo
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
26 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
Yamaha Factory Racing
With the Qatar MotoGP Grand Prix over, it is time to heal the wounds
MotoGP
MotoGP
Qatar GP
1 d
With the Qatar MotoGP Grand Prix over, it is time to heal the wounds
Carlos Ezpeleta: Qatar GP “noise” left MotoGP unnecessarily exposed
MotoGP
MotoGP
Qatar GP
4 d
Carlos Ezpeleta: Qatar GP “noise” left MotoGP unnecessarily exposed
Alex Marquez undergoes surgery on his right shoulder and begins recovery at home
MotoGP
MotoGP
Qatar GP
10 d
Alex Marquez undergoes surgery on his right shoulder and begins recovery at home
Latest news
TV ratings released for NASCAR Cup season finale
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Homestead-Miami
4 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
5 h
Chase Elliott's car chief leaves Hendrick for NASCAR Truck crew chief role
“I was getting beat up” – How Daniel Ricciardo burned out on ‘humiliating’ F1 return
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1 9 h
“I was getting beat up” – How Daniel Ricciardo burned out on ‘humiliating’ F1 return
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