Jorge Lorenzo says he is keen to renew his contract to continue racing with Yamaha before the new season gets underway in late-March.
The current MotoGP champion's contract is due to expire at the end of the season, along with team-mate Valentino Rossi – who is yet undecided on whether to continue or retire – as well as Honda's and Ducati's factory riders.
Lorenzo is keen to get a new deal sorted before the Qatar season opener, but admitted it isn't a set deadline.
"I want to renew my contract before the start of the season," he told sponsor and Spanish broadcaster Movistar. "But if not I'll just keep quiet and trust in myself.
"If we can not find an agreement we will have to wait till Mugello or even Brno, just like other years."
With several factory seats potentially up for grabs, Lorenzo has options if Yamaha chooses to drag their feet over a new deal. Meanwhile it's known Ducati is keen to approach the Spaniard, but Lorenzo insists his desire is to remain at Yamaha.
"I am in no hurry, especially since I am confident in my ability," he said. "I know I'm going fast and hopefully with Yamaha, but I'll still be fast if I have to do it with another bike.
"My goal remains to retire with Yamaha without changing teams and try to match the four titles Valentino has, or even surpass that.
"But it's true, renewing before the start of the world championship would take away some pressure and anxiety you as a rider may have when not knowing what the future holds."
