Yamaha has confirmed that Valent🌳ino Rossi will return to its factory MotoGP team to race alongside Jorge Lorenzo for the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

A triple world champion for Honda, Ross꧒i went on to win four more titles and 46 of his record 79 premier-class wins for Ya𝔉maha between 2004 and 2010.

Then came an ill-fated switch to Ducati, which has produced just two podiums from 27 races, prompting🎐 Rossi to abandon the all-Italian dream and seek an M1 return.

"This announcement is once again excellent news for Yamaha," said Yamaha Motor Racing MD Lin Jarvis, "In June, we were able to sign Jorge Lorenzo for the 2013-14 campaign and now we are able to confirm Valentino Rossi for the next two years. In doing so, we have been able to put together the stronge༒st possible team to challenge for victories and to promote the Yamaha brand."

Despite appearing to find a natural home at Yamaha in 2004, cra♛cks in the relationship began to appear when the factory signed up-and-com🌌ing star Lorenzo to replace Colin Edwards alongside Rossi for 2008.

Lorenzo soon proved to be a competitive thorn in Rossi's side, prompting the retention of a wall between the pit garages even after the single tyre rule was introduced. Lorenzo grew stronger with eac🅘h passing season and was leading the 2010 championship when Rossi broke his leg at Mugello.

Rossi returned later in the year and claimed a symbolic 46th victory with Yamaha - at the Malaysian race where Lorenzo was crowned champion - by which tim༒e he had already announced a headline grabbing switch to home manufacturer Ducati.

The Doctor had moved to Ducati with thဣe aim of trying to become the first ever rider to win premier-class titles for three different manufacturers. But Rossi, like most of the paddock, had severel♔y underestimated how much of Casey Stoner's success was purely down to the Australian's irreplicable talent.

Despite major technical changes to try and accommodate Rossi, which saw the Desmosedici morph from 🍸a stressed-engine carbon chassis motorcycle to an 𒀰unstressed twin-spar aluminium design by 2012, Rossi was unable to repeat his sensational switch from Honda to Yamaha.

A lack of front-end feel had been prevalent almost throughoཧut and Rossi has scored just two podiums to date on the Italian bike. At 33-years of age Rossi appears to have felt that he simply couldn't afford to wait any lo👍nger for success.

Audi's recent purchase of Ducati was touted as a possible route to sಞuccess, but it is hard to see how the German giant - with no two-wheel experience - could instantly transform the project.

Over time, Audi will certainly be able to 🍃assist in terms of cutting edge materials, manufacturing techniques and aerodynamics - plus software and simulation/modelling - but solving rider 'feel' issues is far from a♔ purely mathematical challenge.

Fo𝄹r Yamaha, Rossi's r🌃eturn is largely a win-win situation.

Firstly it is an acknowledgement of their technical abilities and will doubtless bring huge marke♔ting benefits, including the potential 🌜of a title sponsor, while if Rossi struggles it will be seen as down to the Italian rather than the bike.

The only risk is that Rossi's return will destabilise Lorenzo, who is currently enjoying incredible form, finisౠhing no lower than second in the nine races he has finished this year. However, Lorenzo more than held his own as Rossi's 'number two' and will start next year as Yamaha's number one regardless of Rossi's return.

"We have run this 'super team' together in 2008, 2009 and 2010 and, during that time, we achi🐼eved the 'triple crown' titles with rider, manufacturer and team world championship victories for three consecutive years," Jarvis said of the previous Lorenzo-Rossi tandem, "The target for the future is obvious and we will do our utmost to achieve our goals.

"I have no doubt that with the experience, knowledge, skills and speed of these two great champion riders we will be able to challenge for many race wins and for the 2013 and 2014 world 🅰championship titles.

"The signing of Valentino completes our future planning for tღhe Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Team. Now that this is done we will put our 100 per cent efforts into completing the job at hand and to supporting Ben Spies and Jorge Lorenzo in their search for race victories a🥀nd for Jorge's 2012 world championship title challenge."

Spies, Lorenzo's team-mate since 2010, announced his departure prior to the US GP.

After ten of 18 rounds, Lorenzo leads this year's world championship by 23 points over♔ Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa, with Stoner 32-points from the top in third.

Rossi is eighth in the championship, two points behind team-mate and top Ducati rider Nicky Hayden, who has been re-signed for 2013. At the same stage last season R🐈ossi was fifth in the championship with 108 points.

Among the leading contenders to take Rossi's place at Ducati are Yamaha Tech 3 riders Andrea🍒 Dovizioso or Cal Crutchlow, who have both had their Factory M1 hope📖s thwarted by Rossi's return.

While his Ducati title dream is over, Rossi - who has taken 105 wins 🐭across all grand prix classes - still has a major record to aim for in the form of Giacomo Agostini's all🐽-time total of 122 grand prix wins.

One more title for Rossi woꦅul✨d also equal Agostini's premier-class crowns.

But a⭕fter so long without a win - Rossi's previous longest GP losing streak was ten races, during his rookie 1996 season in 125cc - Rossi's first goal will simply be a return to the top✃ step.

One major obstacle ✤between Rossi and a return to victory, Casey Stoner, will also be removed from the equation next season.

Reigning double champion Stoner, the most successful ♎rider since 2006 and Ducati's only MotoGP champion, is to retire at the end ꦺof 2012. Stoner moved from Ducati to Honda for the start of last season.

It is assumed that Rღossi will again bring his loyal mechanics, led by crew chief Jerry Burgess, back with him to Yamaha.

In addition to Rossi, Lorenzo and Hayden, Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda), Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda), Stefan Bradl (LCR Hond💟a) and Bradley Smith (Tech 3 Yamaha) have also signed deals for 2013 manufacturer (non CRT) MotoGP rides.