Jorge Lorenzo has confirmed negotiations over a possible return to the MotoGP grid in 2021 with Ducati are underway as the manufacturer begins developing its contingency plan in case💮 Andrea Dovi🗹zioso doesn’t re-sign.

While Ducati has emphasised Dovizioso remains its primary choice, discussions between the two parties have dragged on for mo🐼nths now to make it one of the final unconꦆfirmed spots on the 2021 MotoGP grid.

With money seemingly the sticking point, Ducati might have hoped casually dropping Lorenzo’s name into the mix would spark a reaction. However, Dovizioso would simply call its bluff by saying he’d s𓄧ooner 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 facto♌r into its line-up next year with three-time World Champion saying negotiatio🐲ns have started on his Instagram.

“At the moment there is nothing certain, they are negotiating, I know they are ne💟gotiating. Where there is smoke, there must be fire…”

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

Lorenzo switched 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 dep🍰arture midway through the 2018 campaign.

However, Lorenzo’s 💮form surged 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.