GPR Camp: Replica Racers

According to the MotoSprint site, TIM’s new chief executive Amos Genish has chosen not to renew the bond that linked the company to Ducati since 2004, at the time with the designation ‘Alice’ appearing in the fairings of Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss.

Now, almost a decade and a half later, the link between the two italian entities comes to an end, so the TIM brand will no longer be seen in the decoration of the Desmosedici since that time. With this, the only major sponsor that the formation of Borgo Panigale has at the moment is the tobacco snuffer Philip Morris, whose presence is visible through the scheme of decoration that refers to Marlboro.

Recall that a few days ago Paolo Ciabatti, Ducati sporting director, confessed that negotiations to renew with Andrea Dovizioso would be complicated regarding the preditable financial requirements of the rider after his performances in 2017. On the other side of the garage is Jorge Lorenzo, who is the most received in the MotoGP squad.

Cal Crutchlow is hired by LCR Honda until the end of 2019, as is the case with Franco Morbidelli at Marc VDS and Xavier Simeón at Avintia. It should be noted that in the belgian line-up that Tom Lüthi isn’t a certainty for 2019, especially given the ‘threat’ of Alex Márquez in Moto2, while Avintia, like Aspar, has been pointed to the ‘succession’ of Tech3 as a Yamaha satellite team—which may have market implications.

There are also several uncertainties. At Suzuki, for example, a third season with Alex Rins and Andrea Iannone is far from a guarantee, while at Tech3 there are many question marks – Hafizh Syahrin was a last minute solution for Jonas Folger’s spot; Johann Zarco may be dependent on Rossi’s future; and there is still to know who the new partner will be after the end of the Yamaha connection.

In the other factory settings, Aprilia hasn’t yet reinstated its pair (Aleix Espargaró and newcomer Scott Redding) in addition to 2019, as does Pol Espargaró and Bradley Smith in the KTM. With Miguel Oliveira ‘on the lookout’ for an opportunity, the austrian pair have no guaranteed future in the team, especially Smith, who in the season was somewhat below expectations.

Repsol Honda Team:
Marc Márquez linked until the end of 2020;
Dani Pedrosa’s contract ends in 2018.

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP:
Maverick Vinales linked to the end of 2020;
Valentino Rossi contract ends in 2018.

Ducati Team:
Andrea Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo have contracts until the end of 2018.

Monster Yamaha Tech3:
Hafizh Syahrin and Johann Zarco have contracts until the end of 2018.

Alma Pramac Racing:
Francesco Bagnaia hired by Ducati for 2019 and 2020;
Danilo Petrucci and Jack Miller contracts with Ducati to finish in 2018.

Team Suzuki Ecstar:
Álex Rins and Andrea Iannone have contracts until the end of 2018.

Estrella Galicia 0,0, Marc VDS:
Franco Morbidelli linked until the end of 2019 with option for 2020;
Tom Lüthi’s contract expires in 2018.

LCR Honda:
Cal Crutchlow linked to HRC by the end of 2019;
Takaaki Nakagami linked to the HRC until the end of 2018.

Ángel Nieto Team (Aspar):
Alvaro Bautista and Karel Abraham have contracts until the end of 2018.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing:
Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaró have contracts until the end of 2018.

Reale Avintia Racing:
Xavier Simeón linked until the end of 2019;
Tito Rabat’s contract ends in 2018.

Aprilia Racing Team Gresini:
Aleix Espargaró and Scott Redding have contracts until the end of 2018.

After Tech 3 and Yamaha parted ways for 2019, the rumor mill has been in overdrive about the future possibilities for a satellite team to run machinery from the Iwata marque – with one of the big talking points centered on the possibility of a future VR46-branded outfit doing just that.

“I didn’t expect Poncharal to leave Yamaha,” begins the ‘Doctor’. “We thought about it and it would have been a great opportunity, but in the next two years we will not make a MotoGP team with Yamaha.”

Then comes the headline, with Rossi confirming that it’s more a project for after he stops racing – and that very probably, that won’t be anytime before 2020.

“I'll probably race for the next two years, so hopefully, we'll talk about the team later when I stop - but not in 2019 or 2020."

After Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) signed on the Monday before Qatar and Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) announced his future at the Yamaha Team presentation, will Rossi be the next to sign on the line?

"The 2018 RS-GP is an in-depth optimisation and evolution of the concepts we had on the track last year. The frame is radically new, as is the airbox, the cooling system and the aerodynamics. The new project's first positive step was the popularity with the riders during the winter tests. They both noticed straight away how much the bike has grown.

“This reaction is never a given when you introduce such significant changes, but it makes us optimistic for this new MotoGP season. I expect this to be an extremely demanding season. The level has been raised even farther in terms of both the bikes and the riders on the grid. On our part, we have all our papers in order to be contenders.”

Without a podium during a disappointing debut Suzuki season, Iannone has taken two rostrums so far this year and is seventh in the world championship.

"I have a good relationship with everybody in Suzuki. I think last year was a difficult year and so the relationship last year was a little bit difficult. In any case Suzuki tried their best last year and me also, and we will continue like this to the end of the season."

Iannone, a MotoGP race winner with Ducati prior to joining Suzuki alongside Alex Rins, has already been linked with a move to Aprilia and ruled out joining a satellite team.

"I don’t want a satellite team. I talk with factory [teams]… Not only Aprilia."

Rins has already been re-signed on a new Suzuki contract.

Earlier on Thursday, Mir's manager rejected reports that a Suzuki deal has been signed.

Sanchez refused to say which factory they are closest to concluding a deal with, but did reveal:

"After the report that Joan had reached an agreement with Suzuki, three hours later I received a new offer from Honda. And the next day a call from Ducati. Because it was not done. Nobody can say it's signed."

Describing the Suzuki story - and earlier reports that Mir had a pre-contract with Honda - "as a bet that has a 33% chance of being correct", Sanchez also spoke of how such stories can cause a chain reaction in the rider market.

"I'm talking with three factories, but these three factories are each talking with four-five riders. Pedrosa, Lorenzo, Iannone, Petrucci… really experienced and good riders.

"Everybody is waiting and if any factory understands I have signed a contract with another factory, they will close [a deal] immediately with the second rider on their list - if Joan is the first on their list.

"They also have a second, a third choice. So if they realise 'Joan has signed with Suzuki' then they will go close [the deal] with the second one and later if I don't close [the deal] with Suzuki I'm in the shit because one bike has disappeared."

Instead, Sanchez maintains that "we have had a proposal from Ducati, Honda and Suzuki" - and that the Ducati offer is not for Pramac, but the factory team.

In other words, as team-mate to Andrea Dovizioso in the seat currently occupied by Jorge Lorenzo.

Lorenzo is now being linked to a satellite Yamaha seat for 2019.

"Ducati contacted us at the start of the season and they offered a bike with a Ducati contract but in the Pramac team," Sanchez said.

"Paolo Campinoti [Pramac] is a good friend of mine because I worked with him in the past when Luis D'Antin had the team.

"He called me and said, 'you can sign with the Ducati factory and be in our team'.

"It's not so bad. But I told him. 'Paolo, my expectation is to sign a factory bike for Joan. So I'm sorry…' And he told me, 'Okay, but in that case we will [sign] Pecco Bagnaia'.

"It was a risk for me [to turn down Pramac], but I assumed the risk because I had been talking with other factories for many months before. This is not work that began in the last week. It's work that you start before the end of last season…

"Also at Le Mans, I received a call from Paolo Ciabatti and Gigi Dall’Igna and first of all I told them, 'I know the programme with Pramac because Paolo offered it to me three-four months ago'.

"And they said, 'No, we want to talk about the factory team, not Pramac'. So the situation [now] is with the factory team."

Sanchez - also manager of Maverick Vinales - feels there is too much risk in joining a satellite team, citing the past example of Pol Espargaro at Tech3 Yamaha and reigning Moto2 champion Franco Morbidelli at Marc VDS Honda.

"You can see now Morbidelli, he won the Moto2 title last year and is a really good rider for MotoGP also, but it's so difficult to show his potential. And now Joan can maybe [get a factory ride] over him even before he has won a title in Moto2. Why? This is the market…

"More-or-less all the top riders have gone directly into a factory team. Lorenzo, Pedrosa, Marquez, Rossi - it was like an official team - and have been successful and are still here after many years.

"I don't promise to anybody that Joan will be the next world champion. But I think, and all the team managers think, that he is a special rider."

He continued: "We are not worried about money. The most important thing is to have the best atmosphere. The best package.

"And again, I've never taken the decision for a rider in my life. They decide. Sometimes I advise, 'to me, this is the best team', and they chose another. Which I accept."

While paddock rumours still say Mir to Suzuki is most likely, the reigning Moto3 champion said a place at Repsol Honda alongside Marc Marquez would be "like a dream".

Sanchez also highlighted how much Mir could learn as team-mate to the reigning world champion.

"I think you could grow up next to the best rider at the moment. You could learn a lot and you don't have any pressure to beat Marc.

"Maybe in another team, where the other rider is Alex Rins or Dovizioso, who are experienced but not considered at Marquez's level, you have the opportunity to try to beat your team-mate more quickly.

"But in Repsol for sure it's completely different. And maybe in two years - this is complete speculation - Marc wins two-three more titles and then wants a new challenge with KTM, Yamaha or Ducati…"

Asked to confirm he meant walking away from competitive racing, the double MotoGP podium finisher replied:

"Absolutely. I’m happy. At 28 I’ve had a good run at this.

"I’ve enjoyed every part of what I have done and at the end of the day I only do this because I have the chance to ride the best tyres, work with the best people and manufacturers - like I did with Aprilia, with Tech 3 and with Yamaha and KTM.

"That's what makes me motivated. Results are fun but the thing that gets you up in the morning is knowing you are in that top 1% and I’d like to remain there. If that is [no longer] my situation then I don't know how interested I would be to carry on.

"That's where I’m at."

The triple 125GP race winner would however consider a MotoGP test and wild-card role, similar to Mika Kallio's current position at KTM.

"It all depends on what becomes available, because at least with the test rider thing you still get the chance to be in this paddock and ride the best motorcycles.

"What Mika is doing is fantastic and whether those types of opportunities become available we’ll have to see.

"But unless it is on a MotoGP bike my heart is telling me right now I’m not really into anything else."

And that includes a switch to World Superbike, despite being part of Yamaha's winning team at the 2015 Suzuka 8 Hours.

"I’m not a production bike racer. I have always ridden race bikes and I know what I am good at and what I enjoy.

"Don't get me wrong, WorldSBK is rammed full of talent but I’m not sure a production bike is right for me."

Smith has qualified 17th for Sunday's Mugello race, two places behind team-mate Pol Espargaro, who will partner new factory KTM signing Johann Zarco in 2019.

After his 125cc race wins, Smith took three Moto2 rostrums for Tech3 before stepping up to the premier-class with the French team in 2013.

Smith finished sixth in the MotoGP standings in 2015, signed to join the new KTM project at the start of 2016 and made his RC16 debut in testing at the end of that year.

Countryman Scott Redding is also facing an uncertain MotoGP future, with speculation he will be replaced at Aprilia.

Having re-signed four-time champion and current points leader Marquez on a new deal back in January, Honda negotiated with several riders for the second seat at the factory team.

But as Johann Zarco chose KTM over Honda, Andrea Dovizioso signed an extension at Ducati and an option on Moto2's Joan Mir was allowed to lapse, paving the way for him to join Suzuki, Pedrosa looked increasingly likely to stay on – only for Honda to finally decide on Lorenzo instead.

Prior to him becoming Honda's main target, Lorenzo was very close to finalising a deal to ride a satellite Yamaha bike in 2019.

And while the Spaniard has been lured away to Honda and no current team on the grid officially has a satellite Yamaha deal firmed up for next year, it is understood that the project – reportedly backed by Petronas and Monster – could still come to fruition, with Marc VDS Honda's Franco Morbidelli lined up as one of the riders.