"If it was up to us we wouldn't replace Valentino"

FIAT YAMAHA MotoGP boss Davide Brivio has said he would not replace Valentino Rossi with a second rider if it was not for a contractual obligation.

The nine-time World Champion will be out of action for the forseeable future after the Italian broke his right shin during practice at Mugello MotoGP.

"If it was up to us we wouldn't replace Valentino, but the contracts force us to," Brivio told Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport.

"We have two test riders, but they are a bit slow, and to see an excessive gap among riders isn't nice. Unfortunately it's difficult to find an available rider at MotoGP level."

As you'd expect, the rumour mill is red hot with potential candidates to fill Rossi's seat for the next few races; 2009 World Supersport Champion Cal Crutchlow, Tech 3 Yamaha rider Colin Edwards and Moto2 frontrunner Yuki Takahashi are all hot names for the most-prized seat in motorcycle racing.