Pedrosa considering Ducati move

Ducati team boss Livio Suppo hinted yesterday that he had not given up on attracting the 23-year-old Spaniard across from Honda, where he is yet to confirm a deal for 2010.

Pedrosa says he is considering a move to Ducati, but is concerned by the way that Casey Stoner's two previous team-mates have struggled to be competitive on the Desmosedici.

"With Ducati there are some discussions, some talks. They are interested in me," Pedrosa told Italian magazine Motosprint. "I don't know the positive and negative points with Ducati, even though from the outside it seems that only Stoner can ride it in a certain way."

He also says he is in talks with Honda about renewing his contract, but warns that a lack of early development on the team's 2010 bike could prompt him to leave.

"As far as I'm concerned, the situation [with Honda] is totally similar to the way it was in Brno: there's nothing new, there's nothing concrete. In any case, talks with Honda are quite advanced.

"I know, however, the reasons that could prevent me from renewing with Honda. The problem is that I'd like to know if the current bike is the one I'd have in 2010 too - that's the most important issue for me. Yamaha has already gone to the track with the new bike, while we need to know what the plans are for next year.

"It's important that, at the end of the last race of the season at Valencia, HRC is already able to not only go on the track with the 2010 bike, but that this is already at a good level.

"I don't want a repeat of what has happened in previous seasons, when I had to start the season with a bike that still needed to be sorted, and with several parts changed during the season. Starting with a good base avoids many problems."

Pedrosa has won just one race for Honda so far this season and is currently fourth in the standings. Following his crash while leading at Indianapolis last weekend, he is still nine points behind Ducati's Stoner, who has missed the last two races.