Valentino Rossi Says Two More Years in MotoGP

Coming on the heels of the news that Casey Stoner will retire from MotoGP at the end of the 2012 season, Valentino Rossi was pitched a question on the same vein at Thursday’s press conference.

Asked how much longer he planned on racing in the premier class, Rossi replied that he no plans of following the reigning-World Champion into retirement, and would like to spend two more years in the Championship.

“For me it’s very difficult to understand where the news starts because I never speak about my retirement, and I want to race in MotoGP for the next two years for sure,” said Rossi at the press conference in Le Mans.

This news is surely to mean that Rossi is looking for another tw0-year contract from MotoGP teams, and while Ducati Corse is surely at the top of the list, Stoner’s departure from Repsol Honda means that HRC’s hat must also be tossed into the ring for consideration.

While Rossi didn’t leave Honda under the best of terms at the end of the 2003 season, HRC MotoGP boss Shuhei Nakamoto has said not to rule out The Doctor’s return to the team’s ranks. Your 2012 MotoGP silly season just got interesting.