Jorge Lorenzo has conf🐠irmed negotiations over a possible return to the MotoGP grid in 2021 with Ducati are underway as the ma🌃nufacturer begins developing its contingency plan in case Andrea Dovizioso doesn’t re-sign.

While Ducati has emphasised Dovizioso remains its primary choice, discussions between 🐼the two parties have dragged on for months now to make it one of the final unconfirmed spots on the 2021 M🍰otoGP grid.

With money seemingly the sticking point, Ducati might have hoped casually dropping Lorenzo’s name into the mix would spark a reaction.ꩵ However, Dovizioso would simply call its bluff by saying he’d sooner skip the 2021 MotoGP season altogether than put pen to paper on a bad deal.

As such, Ducati does seem to have gotten the ball rolling 🅰on determining where Lorenzo could factor into its line-up next year with three-time World Champion saying negotiations have started on his Instagram.

“At the moment ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚthere is nothing certain, they are negotiating, I know they are negotiating. Where there is smoke, thꦦere must be fire…”

The words, though brief, do represent a more upbeat tone for Lorenzo, who has previously been quick to play down the prospect🅰 of coming out of retirement after just a single season on the sidelines.

Lorenzo ꩵswitched from Yamaha – with whom he won his three MotoGP titles – to Ducati in 2017, but it was a difficult start to life with the Italian manufacturer, so ꧅much so that it announced his impending departure midway through the 2018 campaign.

However, Lorenzo’s form surged𓃲 thereafter, picking up 🌱three victories before making the ill-fated swap to Repsol Honda for 2019. He had signed as Yamaha test rider for 2020, which should have given him a handful of race starts but for wild-cards to be cancelled for this season.