transferts biaggi incertain, gibernau pas signé ...

[theophil]

With over half the MotoGP seats still to be confirmed for next year, there is much frantic wheeling and dealing being done in the end of season Valencia paddock this weekend.

Indeed, it seems that many top seats really are still 'open', so here is a collection of the latest credible paddock whispers as of late Saturday night at Valencia - we can't guarantee they'll happen, but we can guarantee they are being seriously discussed:

The most speculation surrounds Camel Honda, with Sito Pons believed to have the first option on Carlos Checa's services for 2006. However, that option must be taken up before tomorrow (Sunday) morning; if not then Carlos is free to sign elsewhere.

But where might the value-for-money Spaniard go? Perhaps nowhere, because it appears that Sete Gibernau's talks to take Checa's seat at the factory Ducati squad may have stalled - or even 'collapsed'.

On the eve of this weekend's race Gibernau claimed that he still hadn't signed with Ducati and actually had several options for next season - of these, one option was at Ducati Marlboro and another at a Honda team.

At the time his words were seen largely as a smokescreen before an official Ducati announcement - but the latest from paddock insiders is that Gibernau may in fact be heading for Pons, with Toni Elias already reported to have signed to take his seat alongside Marco Melandri at Gresini next year.

And what of Max Biaggi? Many insist that Honda definitely don't want him on an RCV next year - he was expected to take one of the Camel seats - but Camel are still as determined as ever to run the Roman, putting Pons in a very difficult situation. With over half the MotoGP seats still to be confirmed for next year, there is much frantic wheeling and dealing being done in the end of season Valencia paddock this weekend.

Indeed, it seems that many top seats really are still 'open', so here is a collection of the latest credible paddock whispers as of late Saturday night at Valencia - we can't guarantee they'll happen, but we can guarantee they are being seriously discussed:

The most speculation surrounds Camel Honda, with Sito Pons believed to have the first option on Carlos Checa's services for 2006. However, that option must be taken up before tomorrow (Sunday) morning; if not then Carlos is free to sign elsewhere.

But where might the value-for-money Spaniard go? Perhaps nowhere, because it appears that Sete Gibernau's talks to take Checa's seat at the factory Ducati squad may have stalled - or even 'collapsed'.

On the eve of this weekend's race Gibernau claimed that he still hadn't signed with Ducati and actually had several options for next season - of these, one option was at Ducati Marlboro and another at a Honda team.

At the time his words were seen largely as a smokescreen before an official Ducati announcement - but the latest from paddock insiders is that Gibernau may in fact be heading for Pons, with Toni Elias already reported to have signed to take his seat alongside Marco Melandri at Gresini next year.

And what of Max Biaggi? Many insist that Honda definitely don't want him on an RCV next year - he was expected to take one of the Camel seats - but Camel are still as determined as ever to run the Roman, putting Pons in a very difficult situation.