Honda admits interest in Jorge Lorenzo for 2015 MotoGP season
Honda has admitted it is interested in poaching Jorge Lorenzo from MotoGP rival Yamaha
The two-time champion's current contract expires at the end of 2014, after which he will become a free agent.
Honda's works duo Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa also have deals that expire at the end of the season, prompting early speculation that Honda could try to lure Lorenzo away from Yamaha and pair him up with Marquez.
HRC team principal Shuhei Nakamoto said that it would be foolish not to open negotiations with Lorenzo, should the Spaniard be on the market for a potential switch.
"At the moment we are happy with both Dani and Marc, and if both riders agree we would like to continue," Nakamoto said.
"But at the same time [if] Jorge is also on the market, then at least I will talk with him."
Marquez said in December last year that he would have no qualms about Honda signing his arch rival, saying: "What I want is to be in that garage. My team-mate [is irrelevant]."
Yamaha has been Lorenzo's sole employer since his graduation from the 250cc series - where he was a double champion - to MotoGP for the 2008 season.
In that time he has won two titles and claimed 31 grand prix victories, 74 podiums and 29 poles.
Honda previously eyed Lorenzo in the wake of Casey Stoner's retirement, but the Spaniard swiftly committed to a two-year extension with Yamaha.
He recently reiterated his loyalty to Yamaha amid reports of a potential Ducati deal for 2015.
Ezpeleta downplays chances of Honda quitting MotoGP over ECUs
Ducati admits interest in switch to MotoGP's Open class
Why Honda and Yamaha have been left behind in MotoGP's new era
The once all-conquering Japanese manufacturers are going through a difficult period in MotoGP this season. With Suzuki quitting, Honda struggling to get near the podium and Yamaha only enjoying success courtesy of Fabio Quartararo, Japanese manufacturers have been left in the dust by their European counterparts. Key paddock figures explain why.
Who is Valentino Rossi’s newest MotoGP star?
Valentino Rossi’s protégés stole the show at Assen as Francesco Bagnaia stormed to victory to arrest a recent barren run. But it was the rider in second, on Bagnaia’s old bike, who had all eyes on him. Securing his and the VR46 team’s first MotoGP podium, Marco Bezzecchi has all the characteristics that made his mentor special
How Quartararo is evoking an absent MotoGP great in 2022
OPINION: Fabio Quartararo has seized control of the 2022 MotoGP world standings after another dominant victory as his nearest rivals faltered. And he is very much heading towards a second championship echoing how the dominator of the last decade achieved much of his success
The human importance of Marquez’s latest enforced MotoGP absence
OPINION: Marc Marquez will likely sit out the remainder of the 2022 MotoGP season to undergo a fourth major operation on the right arm he badly broke in 2020. It is hoped it will return him to his brilliant best after a tough start to the season without a podium to his name. But it’s the human victory that will far outweigh any future on-track success he may go on to have
Why Ducati holds all the power in its MotoGP rider dilemma
OPINION: The French Grand Prix looks to have made Ducati’s decision on its factory team line-up simpler, as Enea Bastianini stormed to his third win of the campaign and Jorge Martin crashed out for a fifth time in 2022. But, as Ducati suggests to Autosport, it remains in the strongest position in a wild rider market
The seismic aftershock left by Suzuki's decision to leave MotoGP
Suzuki's sudden decision to leave the MotoGP World Championship at the end of the season has acted as a stirring element in a market that had already erupted. Autosport analyses what this means for the grid going into 2023
How the real Ducati began to emerge in MotoGP’s Spanish GP
Ducati’s 2022 MotoGP bike has had a tough start to life and the expected early-season title charge from Francesco Bagnaia did not materialise. But the Spanish Grand Prix signalled a turning point for both the GP22 and Bagnaia, as the 2021 runner-up belatedly got his season underway after a straight fight with Fabio Quartararo
How Honda's praise for its 2022 MotoGP bike has turned into doubt
In a little over two months, Honda has gone from setting the pace in MotoGP testing with its new RC213V prototype to being at a crossroads - caused by the discrepancy in its riders' feedback. After a Portuguese GP that underwhelmed, serious questions are now being asked of Honda in 2022