Rossi open to one-year Yamaha MotoGP extension

The Italian's contract will expire at the end of the 2018 season, as is the case for the majority of the MotoGP field - although his teammate Maverick Vinales has already committed to an extension until 2020.

Rossi, 38, has reiterated his previous claim that he wants to wait until the first few races of the season before making a decision on his future, but said that he is "positive" about signing a new contract - which could be for one or two years.

"Usually we speak always about two years, but it can be also one. Yamaha is open," Rossi said. "We will think and we will speak together to try to understand, but it can be one or two.

"I want to wait [to re-sign], especially for the test and maybe the first three races of the season.

"We are quite ready and I think we don't have to discuss a lot about the contract, so we are positive, optimistic.

"We are not in a rush and I think that we will say something after the test days."

Rossi said the main thing he has to decide is whether he still has the motivation to continue competing.

"The point is that I have to decide if I am still there, I have enough motivation to give 100 percent, to keep concentration and train every day.

"Or, I prefer to stay at home on the sofa to see the races on the television, or to work with the young riders. This is the decision that I have to make if I want to continue or not."

Following the Valencia post-season test at the end of last year, Yamaha also held a private test at Sepang, which it used to compare the 2016 and 2017 chassis and find solutions to the bike's notorious tyre wear issues.

Rossi added: "They were important tests, Valencia and especially Sepang because we could concentrate and compare the bikes '17 and '16, but also another two chassis that we use during the season.

"I am happy because me and also Maverick had the same idea and I think that we have good information to Yamaha for making the development. Now we have to see if we can have a better feeling.

"I think that will be important, the first test, because with the old bike in the first test I didn't feel very comfortable so I'm very curious to understand my feeling in Sepang."

Additional reporting by Carlos Guil