MotoGP: Yamaha throw Franco Morbidelli a lifeline - but the clock is ticking…

The major 2024 rider shake-up which has long been anticipated is now expected to be confirmed, with Alex Rins i🍨n the process of succeeding Morbidelli.
Yamaha have offered Morbidelli a seat on an offici✃al RM1 in WorldSBK next season, report.
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But Morbid🌞elli “wants to continue riding in MotoGP” and “has so far declined the offer”꧋, the report states.
He has just a few more days to deliver his final answer aboꦐut whether to accept the lifeline offerꦕed by Yamaha.
“By the Silverstone weekend🐠 he will still have to give an answer,” it is reported.
MotoGP returns next weekend, on ꦡAugust 6, at Silverstone.
M🤪orbidelli’s obvious Plan B to remain in MotoGP next season has always been a switch to the Mooney VR46 team, a place he knows well after graduating from the VR46 Academy.
But t♛hat option has now closed af🌠ter Marco Bezzecchi chose to stay alongside Luca Marini for 2024.
There ar🎀e now just two vacancies which M🦩orbidelli could swoop for.
Gresini Racing will likely have a spare seat when they dispense with Fa♊bio di Giannantonio.
Ho🐽wever, Moto2 star Tony Arbolino (backed by veteran manager Carlo Pernat) is also aไ candidate for Gresini.
LCR Honda will have a vacancy when Rins moves to Yamaha, giving Morbidelli a chance a💖t a straight-swap.

James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everyꦍthin🧸g from American sports, to football, to F1.