Valentino Rossi to announce new deal in America

Valentino Rossi will announce that he has signed a new Yamaha contract during this weekend’s American GP at Laguna Seca.

The 29-year-old is expected to confirm he has signed a two-year deal, keeping him in MotoGP until the end of the 2010 campaign at least.

Rossi has been with Yamaha since 2004, but having won the world championship in his first two seasons, he hasn’t won a title on board the YZR-M1 since 2005.

Now representing himself as his own manager, the Italian said he was close to clinching a deal at last weekend’s German GP at the Sachsenring.

This weekend’s announcement though will see Yamaha finalise its complete 2009 rider line-up.

Colin Edwards will announce that he has signed a new one-year deal with the Tech 3 squad later today (Thursday) California time. It means Yamaha’s line-up will remain the same as 2008, with Jorge Lorenzo and James Toseland already having deals in place for ’09.