Rossi to stick with Yamaha until 2018

Italian Valentino Rossi has signed a new two-year contract to ride for the Yamaha MotoGP team until the 2018 season, the Japanese manufacturer said on Saturday.

"I am very happy to announce that Yamaha and I have extended our contract and will continue working together in MotoGP for the next two years," the nine times world champion said in a statement.

"I am very satisfied with this decision, because it has always been my plan to compete in motorsports for as long as I can be competitive and find it enjoyable at the same time."

The 37-year-old, whose Spanish teammate Jorge Lorenzo is the reigning world champion, starts the season in Qatar this weekend.