Top Cars

Valentino Rossi has increased the pressure on Yamaha to produce an instantly-competitive 2008 YZR-M1 by publicly pondering a future switch to Ducati.

Rossi's existing Yamaha contract expires at the end of next season and, having lost the MotoGPtitle for the past two years - most recently to Ducati's new star Casey Stoner - the relationship between Rossi and Yamaha, which started so perfectly with world championship victories in 2004 and 2005, appears to have become more strained.

As part of his determination to win back the MotoGP crown, Rossi has left Michelin to join Stoner on Bridgestonetyres in 2008 - forcing the factory Yamaha team to be split in two for next season - and, in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, The Doctor hints that he is also be prepared to switch manufacturer if that's what it takes to return to the top.