Agostini: ‘Audi has made Jorge a super offer to ride Ducati in MotoGP’

Well, well, well. If anyone out there thinks that Yamaha is the only option for Jorge Lorenzo for next year (or the year after… or the year after that, apparently) then check out what Giacomo Agostini (pictured above) has just said.

Ago, the living legend and 15-times world champion, has been talking to Italian website quotidiano.net about what’s going on behind the scenes with Jorge Lorenzo’s prospects in the championship – specifically about what Ducati might have to do with where the reigning world champion ends up.

What makes this more interesting is that Lorenzo’s team-mate, Valentino Rossi, has already committed to ride for the Yamaha team for both 2017 and 2018. Many in the MotoGP paddock expected Lorenzo to follow-suit to Rossi’s early-season announcement and stay with the tuning fork brigade – indeed, Yamaha has admitted that it has offered Lorenzo a contract, but instead of pouncing on the offer Lorenzo has been deliberately distant and non-committal about where he’s riding next season.

So, over to Ago who has just confirmed that Audi (for Audi, read Ducati) HAS slammed a lot of cash on an imaginary table to try and tempt Jorge onto the red bikes.

Here’s what Agostini said: “I know for a fact that Audi, the brand that controls Ducati, has made him [Lorenzo] a super offer.

“Does the money they offer make up for giving up the best equipment, which is what Yamaha has? If Jorge thinks he can make a difference in red, then he should accept the challenge. But I don’t think he’s fully convinced.”