Yamaha: We'd be happy to see Pedrosa on an M1...

Yamaha Racing managing director Lin Jarvis has confirmed that the factory would welcome Dani Pedrosa with open arms as a 2019 satellite rider.

After 13-years, Pedrosa has lost his Repsol Honda seat to Jorge Lorenzo next season.

Rumours of retirement were dampened when Pedrosa revealed, on the eve of this weekend's Catalunya round, that he was weighing up several options for the future.

While Pedrosa refused to name any of those options, with all 2019 factory seats now decided the most competitive ride would be at a rumoured new Petronas-backed Yamaha team, tipped to take over the satellite M1 supply from KTM-bound Tech3.

Speaking to Dorna's Simon Crafar at Catalunya on Sunday, Jarvis said:

"Dani's situation is something new that has come up in the last couple of weeks. If Dani is available and keen to ride a satellite Yamaha, it would be a really positive thing and a pleasure for Yamaha.

"We've had discussions in previous years as well, and it's always been a curiosity in my mind. So if Dani would finally be one of the riders, I think myself and Yamaha would be happy to see that."

It is assumed that Pedrosa would only join Yamaha if he is given a 2019 spec machine, which would also allow directly comparable data with the factory Movistar Yamaha squad of Valentino Rossi and Maverick Vinales.

Vinales is reported to be pushing for Pedrosa to join Yamaha, to help improve the M1.

In terms of the search for a new satellite team, Jarvis said an announcement could be made 'within the next few weeks'.

"The situation is not confirmed yet, but talks are progressing well and I'm optimistic we'll find a good solution," he said. "Hopefully there will be some positive news within the next couple of weeks about 2019 and beyond."

The options for Petronas are either to take over the Marc VDS grid places, with the Belgian squad currently not expected to continue in the premier-class, or - as appears more likely - form some kind of merger with the Aspar team.

Franco Morbidelli is tipped to be Pedrosa's team-mate, if Marc VDS does not continue. In that case, the 2019 grid would only contain 22 riders.