The 23-year-old recently said that negotiations were locked in stalemate when he said: “I’m very good in Yamaha and I know the bike and the bike is now competitive.

“In theory the possibility to stay in Yamaha is the highest possibility but at the moment everything is possible. Now the situation is a little frozen but I hope that this chapter can be closed before the end of the year.”

The stumbling block in clinching a deal appears to be Yamaha’s reluctance to meet Lorenzo’s wage demands, with the 2010 MotoGP title favourite demanding a big salary increase following Valentino Rossi’s departure to Ducati.

Yamaha remains confident a deal for the double world 250GP champion will be signed imminently, given Lorenzo has little option but to ride a factory YZR-M1 next season.

Compatriot Dani Pedrosa has not yet signed a new deal with Honda’s official factory team but a new deal is close to being confirmed.

Lorenzo, who leads Pedrosa by 68-points going into Sunday’s Misano clash, said: “My manager Marcos (Hirsch) is coming to Misano this weekend to speak with Yamaha. I hope we can have a solution now in the next few weeks.”

Yamaha confirmed that American Ben Spies will replace Rossi in the factory Yamaha squad during last weekend’s Indianapolis MotoGP round.

The Ducati rider, the 2007 world champion, has finished on the podium five times this year, but has been unable to climb on the top step so far.

Despite the lack of results, however, Stoner says he has been very happy with his performances.

“Not at all, to be honest,” Stoner said when asked if he was concerned about finishing the season with no wins. “I’m happy with my riding. When I get really angry is when there’s something definitely wrong or with myself, because I don’t think I’ve been performing for some reason.

“But this year to be honest I’m really happy with the way I’m riding, training, everything, I’m very happy. I can’t be disappointed with that.

“Of course I’m disappointed with my results and that’s why I’m taking a few more risks with set-up. But nothing to be worked up about. I just have to forget about this year at the end of it.

“We still have some more races to do and we are trying to get a little bit more speed. But it’s been a difficult season. I can’t seem to get more out of myself or the bike.”

He added: “I’m not getting desperate. Like I said I would be if I wasn’t happy with my performances or I’d be really angry if things were constantly going wrong. They aren’t constantly going wrong.

“We just don’t have enough speed. I’m happy with the way I’m riding, my attitude… We are trying to get some solutions to improve the results, but that’s it.”

The Australian, who will ride for Honda next year, believes last weekend’s race at Indianapolis would have been his best chance to fight for victory had he not crashed out.

And Stoner admits he is unlikely to be able to have a better chance in the remaining races of the year.

“The best opportunity I had to win was in Indianapolis and even there I think Dani was just a little bit faster and I might have been able to finish second quite confidently. We definitely had the speed for that. There’s no circuits coming up. We’ve got to find some genius thing which if I haven’t found by now I don’t think we are going to.

“Normally at the start of the season we are struggling and slowly get the bike better. But we got the bike working pretty well at the beginning of the season and we haven’t been able to improve it, so I don’t think there’s anything more to come.”

The Italian is still getting himself back to full fitness after breaking his leg in a crash at Mugello earlier this year – and he has endured mixed fortunes since he returned to action at the Sachsenring.

And on the back of a fairly difficult time in Indianapolis – where he slipped down to fourth in the race following three crashes over the weekend – Rossi is not predicting anything being rapidly different this time out.

“This track is quite difficult for us, for me, all my team,” he said in Misano on Thursday. “We came back after the accident and especially the Sachsenring was a good race. Laguna was okay and I took a podium – but the most negative was Brno, it was crazy, one of the worst of the last years for me.

“But we have changed a lot on the bike and I ride quite well.. and here in Misano I have for sure a better atmosphere.

“Indy was a difficult race track with a lot of bumps, but here will be tough for the body, as this track is difficult with a lot of hard braking. So we hope to have less temperature than Indy, a bit more cold, and we have to try and make a better result.”

Rossi said that the tweaks made to his bike were to try and improve the feel from the front end.

“Because of my physical condition we tried to set the bike for easier riding, to have a lighter bike that is easier for the change of direction,” he explained.

“But unfortunately we lose a lot of feeling from the front and, for me, we come back to our normal style – that the bike is a bit more tough to ride but seems to be a better feeling and understanding of what happens on the front.”

Designed by F1 track architect Hermann Tilke, the 3.4-mile course features over 20 corners and substantial elevation changes. A statement from the US GP organisers said the circuit “combines modern features with details reminiscent of traditional races from the 1960s.”

US GP boss Tavo Hellmund said the intention was to create a track that was both state of the art and inspired by classic F1 venues of the past. In addition to the gradients, the Austin track will feature several sweeping corners as well as the long straights into tight bends that have become synonymous with Tilke’s designs.

“In the modern era of grand prix racing, I think this track layout and topography will be very special,” said Hellmund.

“It will have many of the elements of previous ‘classic’ circuits combined with the benefits of FIA-mandated safety for the competitors and spectators alike. Add in the amenities fans have come to expect, like rare, multiple-turn viewing opportunities for added value, and you have an ideal, world-class venue.”

Hellmund is confident that the circuit will prove popular with drivers.

“For the competitors, we’ll have all the ingredients necessary,” he said. “You’ll see fast turns that require commitment from the drivers and technical turns that will test the engineers from a set-up point of view.

“We have a good deal of elevation to make it not only scenic but challenging also, and the view of downtown Austin is wonderful as well.”

Austin has secured a 10-year contract to host the US GP from 2012, in a deal that will end Formula 1′s five-year absence from America since parting company with previous US venue Indianapolis. Construction work on the Austin site has yet to begin.

The Gloucestershire rider was close to agreeing terms for a new deal with the Marc VDS Racing squad prior to his stunning maiden Moto2 podium last weekend in baking hot conditions at Indianapolis.

The Belgian-based squad are poised to make the 17-year-old an official offer in Misano this weekend to keep him on board its Suter chassis Moto2 bike.

An announcement could be made during this weekend’s Misano clash with Redding also claiming a brilliant front row start at the world famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Team boss and former factory Kawasaki chief Michael Bartholemy said: “He is our number one guy. We want to keep him and give him a second year.”

Redding told MCN: “I love the team and I have some great guys working with me. They have really helped me develop as a rider and last weekend’s podium in Indianapolis showed how much progress I’m making.

“It is looking good for next year and that’s an awesome feeling for me when I think back to last year and I didn’t have a ride until the end of December.

“The Marc VDS Racing squad gave me a chance and I’m grateful for that. Hopefully now I’ve got one podium I can get a few more to repay the faith they showed in me.”

Bartholemy hasn’t yet revealed the identity of his second rider but he’s held lengthy talks with World Supersport contender Eugene Laverty.

He’s also expressed interest in Bradley Smith, who is desperate to secure a switch to Moto2 next season.

The Texan will move to Yamaha’s factory squad in 2011 after a stunning first full season in MotoGP.

The 26-year-old scored his best ever premier class result in Indianapolis last weekend when he claimed a brilliant second, which came just 24 hours after he’d stormed to a career first pole position.

And Spies’ results have raised his confidence and belief that he can pose a threat to Valentino Rossi, Casey Stoner, Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa next season.

The quartet have been dubbed the aliens in MotoGP having dominated the 800cc era, with all but three races since the beginning of 2007 won by the fantastic four.

Many have tipped Spies to break into the elite group when he moves from the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 squad to join Jorge Lorenzo in Yamaha’s factory team in 2011.

And the reigning World Superbike champion said: “I think now I can see that it’s attainable. I’m not there yet but it is not impossible. It’s a tough one because these bikes are lot about confidence and when they are working well it is no problem. 

“Look at Valentino when he won the race at Brno last year. He made Lorenzo crash because he was riding so good and when you have these bikes working and you have a head full confidence you can be super-fast.

“When you don’t have confidence you cannot be at the sharp end of the stick pretty easily. So you’ve got to have talent, have the bike working good and have good engineers working on the set-up.”

Ducati and Rossi are anxiously waiting to hear if Yamaha management will grant a request for the Italian star to be released early from his contract.

If Rossi was banned from testing for Ducati, it would be three months before engineers could get crucial technical feedback from the 31-year-old, with Rossi unable to make his debut on a GP11 until early February in Malaysia.

And Aussie Stoner, who will be replaced by Rossi having agreed a transfer to Honda, said: “I think it will be a big help for Ducati if he can test at the end of the season.

“From the end of the season they have a lot of time to make parts if something needs to happen. You get every bit of data you can from the Valencia test and in those months they go away and do as much work and thinking about everything as they can before testing starts in the new year.

“I think it will be important for them to have that first test so in the ban period they can do as much work as possible.”