It would not be possible for the Italian to make his choice based on results the criteria he had previously given to make a judgment was whether he felt he could be competitive. With the first half of the season canceled, postponed, or rescheduled, Rossi was forced to reconsider his options. The COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing disruption to the 2020 MotoGP season wrecked Rossi's initial plans to wait before making a decision. Yamaha at least promised him a fully factory-supported Yamaha M1 if he did decided to continue. If he wanted to continue racing, he would have to move to the satellite Petronas Yamaha squad. The two youngsters were signed to the factory Monster Energy Yamaha team for 20, complicating Rossi's decision further. Rossi had previously said that he had wanted to wait until after the first few European races in 2020 before making a decision on his future.Дucati's aggressive pursuit of both Maverick ViГ±ales and Fabio Quartararo had already forced Yamaha's hand at the beginning of the year. Valentino Rossi appears to have enjoyed spending so much time at home during lockdown, with his family and girlfriend, giving rise to rumors he was seriously considering retirement. The announcement will bring a long period of speculation to an end. Rossi will take a seat in the Petronas Yamaha squad alongside VR46 protege Franco Morbidelli, who should also be announcing a new contract soon. The deal will initially be for 2021, with an option to extend the contract for a second year to 2022. The deal is to be announced during the weekend of the first MotoGP round once it resumes at Jerez next weekend. Italian media, including La Gazzetta dello Sport and, are reporting that Valentino Rossi has reached agreement with Yamaha for a new two-year deal to race in the Petronas Yamaha squad.

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