Yamaha consider deadline for satellite search amid Pramac and VR46 rumours

Yamaha boss Lin Jarvis is “optimistic” that his team will add a satellite project to their ranks for 2025 - but needs a decision soon.

Pramac and VR46 - who have expiring contracts as Ducati satellite teams so must finalise their futures - have been heavily linked with moving to Yamaha.

But VR46 have reportedly rejected Yamaha, Sky Italia reported, leaving the Japanese manufacturer “surprised” and “disappointed”.

Yamaha managing director Jarvis was asked if he has set a deadline in his negotiations for satellite teams to decide whether to join.

“There’s not a hard deadline, as such,” he said. “No rule, nothing defined.

“But I think the latest will be by Mugello [May 31-June 2].

“Prior to Mugello, everything should be sorted.

“The only hard deadline you have is for your future planning, when you make investments.

“When you talk about budgets, talk about making extra materials or not, you need to know by June.

“So that is, more or less, the time.”

Yamaha are the only manufacturer to run just two bikes on the MotoGP grid.

But there is optimism that they can double their presence by next year.

“We have stated before, it is clearly our intention to have four bikes on the grid again in the soonest possible time-frame,” Jarvis said.

“Not only to be competitive in each individual race weekend by having more bikes on the grid and more data.

“But also having the same data to help develop the bike.

“Having two [bikes] is definitely a disadvantage so we’re working on that.

“There are lots of discussions going on. They are confidential. So I can’t tell you about it.

“The only thing I can say is: our plans remain the same. We are optimistic that we may be successful in getting a satellite team, a second team, an independent team on the grid as soon as possible.

“But you’ll have to wait longer, and so will we.”

VR46 told Crash that they are ‘happy with Ducati’ but ‘deserve more’ - seemingly a reference to being given a latest-spec Desmosedici, if they renew their contract.

Pramac, who currently have access to two factory Ducati bikes, could be tempted across to Yamaha by the financial offer.

Yamaha could also replace the six specific technicians that Pramac are given by Ducati.

Yamaha have already signed up Fabio Quartararo, their star rider, for the next two years. The addition of a satellite team is the next major goal as they bid to restore themselves to the front of MotoGP.