Rossi Leaves Door Open for Ducati Move

Soon after securing his 6th win of the season inside the MotoGP and making another step towards securing his 6th title in the series, reigning champion Valentino Rossi took some time off to evaluate his options for his future. While still under contract with Yamaha until the end of 2010, The Doctor revealed he would fancy – like all the other Italian tifosi out there – a move to Ducati in 2011.

Having won championships with both Honda and Yamaha in the past, Rossi's only goal seems to be clinching a MotoGP title with his countrymen before he retires from the sport. How everybody signed and sealed their contracts for the next season, Rossi admits everything is possible for 2011. For 2010 however, there is no chance he'll leave Yamaha before schedule.

“I haven’t decided yet about my future, I will decide in the next year. I have a contract signed already with Yamaha (for 2010). For sure it is a great dream for everybody, to see Valentino with Ducati. We will see, I don’t know,” said the 30-year old after his dominating win at Misano the past weekend.

Rossi's move to Ducati – if it will happen – would most likely benefit Spanish rider Dani Pedrosa. As admitted by the current Honda rider after signing his one-year extension with the Japanese manufacturer, a move to Yamaha in 2011 would be top priority, as he would finally get the chance to challenge for a championship title.

On the other hand, should Nicky Hayden fail to perform as expected next year, the North American rider will most likely face an early exit from Ducati at the end of 2010, therefore clearing the spot for a potential Rossi move.

Everything is still out in the open as far as the 2011 contracts go, with all major players in the MotoGP series to end their current deals at the end of next year: Rossi, Lorenzo, Pedrosa and Stoner.