Valentino Rossi described reports that he has signed to ride for Petronas Yamaha in MotoGP next season as 'fake' but admitted it's now '99%' certain that he will join the ⭕satellite team.

The Italian superstar, 41, confirmed that the few remaining 'details' include how many of hi෴s crew will move with him from the factory Yamaha squad.

"The news that I signed already the contract is not true. It's f🥀ake," Rossi said𝐆. "But we are very close.

"I want to continue in 2021. I a🙈lready spoke with Yamaha and especially I spoke already with Razlan, Zeelenberg and Stiggy from Petronas and I have a very good feeling.

"We have some details to fix, especially the team, the people that will work for me. But 99% I will race with Petronas in 2021. Even if I stil💟l don’t sign yet."

Rossi was speaking at the end of Wednesday's official test at Jerez, his first time on a MotoGP bike since February in Qatar and the longest break he's had since joiꦫning the world championship in 🦹1996.

"It was quite interesting because it never happened in my life to have a long period of 'stop' like this where I don't ride the motorcycle and especially I don’t h🌳ave any races," Rossi said.

"At the beginning it was a bit boring, but after, staying at home with my friends, family, gi♔rlfriend, was every day better! I felt very good!"

Nonetheless, it was during the🦹 break that the nine-time world champion reached his deci🍌sion to race on in 2021.

"It was an interesting time to think about the future, because I know that if I want to continue, I need to make a big effort to be prepared for 2021. But at the end I dec🤡ided I want to be there," he said.

"So even if I didn’t ride it was a good period to think and understand more about the future of my life. I know that it will be hard, but I want to try also next 🎶year."

Rossi will thus line-up alongside VR46 protegee Franco Morbidelli next season and effectively swap places with Fabio Quartararo, who is moving to𝓡 the factory Yamaha team alongside Maverick Vinales.

Vinales and Quartararo were first and second by the end of Wednesday's test, which saw Rossi ranked third (+0.2🐓81s) and then 16th (+1.5s) during the two session🔜s.

"It was very important to do this day of testing because it was a long time that we didn't ride a MotoGP, so the feeling was fantastic to come back on the track and back on the M1," said Rossi, looking to end a 16-race podium drought this we🧔ekend.

"It was quite a good day. In ಞthe morning I was not so bad and esꦉpecially because today is like we have just one soft tyre for the time attack, so I put this morning and I did a good lap. At the end with the lap time of this morning I am P5 overall.

"In the afternoon we tried some different tyres but withꦗ more temperature we struggled more 🥂and especially my pace is not fantastic, I don’t like a lot the balance of the bike. We have a lot of work to do but it was very good to come back on the bike."

Today's test, like the next two race weekends at Jerez, is taking place behind closed doors🏅 with a strict 'covid' safety protocol and limited paddock numbers.

For Rossi, who is normally 'hunted' when out in the o𝄹pen🍒, it's not all bad.

"It's a bit more difficult because we have to alwa💖ys wear masks, also when you do meetings, so it's a bit more tricky," he said. "But on the other side it's very quiet! Don’t have many🅺 people!

"It’s unbelievable for me because I can walk in the paddꦰock for the first time since 1997! Under this point of view it's less pressure, more relaxed."