Yamaha to join at COTA?

The Factory Yamaha team are considering the possibility of joining HRC at the Circuit of the Americas for the private test between the 12th and 14th March.

HRC have hired the new track in Texas for three days in the middle of March, and now Dorna and IRTA have asked Honda to extend the invite to the other teams on the grid.

Despite the open invite, Yamaha appear the only team willing to join Honda in Texas, due to the cost of shipping equipment across the Atlantic. The approx cost of sending the bike and equipment over to the states weeks before the final IRTA test in Jerez is believed to be approximately €35,000.

Both Yamaha riders, Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi, are understood to be keen for the test, in order to learn the track, and collect data ahead of the second round of the season, as well as to try and prevent any advantage that the Repsol Honda riders may gain from testing at the new track.

One of the reservations regarding the move is Yamaha already using a day of their private testing allocation during end of season test, when the upped and left Valencia in search of dry conditions in Aragon, only for them to be met by more wet weather in Aragon.

LCR as still understood to be in negations with HRC regarding subsidising some of the costs should Stefan Bradl travel out to Texas along with the factory riders due to his factory support in his contract, and the limited budget of his satellite team.