DUCATI have taken the first steps to securing another year's World Superbike racing out of Carl Fogarty.

Team boss Davide Tardozzi approached Fogarty last week in a bid to strike up a deal for the next season.

But Fogarty has decided to wait until the two problem rounds, of San Marino tomorrow and California in two weeks time, are out of the way before committing himself.

He said: "A decision will be made when I get back from America.

"Davide said 'do you want to talk about next year, because we are ready to talk?'

"At the moment it is one year at a time - as long as I stay motivated and go out to win."

That motivation flagged last season when bike problems left Fogarty off the championship pace before staging a late charge to grab his third world title in the final race.

This year, Fogarty is already 45 points in front of second-placed team-mate Troy Corser.

And rival manufacturers would jump at the chance to poach Fogarty with a big money offer - he is already reported to earn £1.5 million a year - if cracks were to appear in his love affair with the Italian giants.

But all the indications suggest that Fogarty will be riding for Ducati again next year.

Tardozzi said: "Sure, we want him to stay until the end of his career.

"I want him to stay as long as he has the right mind to win. While he has the right mind he will be at the top of the championship. We have time to discuss this. There's no reason for us to let him go away and no reason for him to go away from Ducati. "It's in Ducati's interests to go on with him and in his interests to go on with Ducati."

Fogarty overcame a scepticism of the Misano surface to set the third fastest time on the first day's qualifying.

Tyre choice was to be made after more time sessions today but Fogarty has already opted for a standard gearbox for tomorrow's two races.

He said: "It's a good compromise. It gives good performance at the exit of a couple of corners while at another couple it's not so powerful."

Fogarty was hoping that yesterday's practice qualifying for the sidecar championship would help deposit more rubber on the track and improve the grip going into corners before today's crucial and controversial Superpole lap, when the final grid position is determined by times from just one lap.

First, though, it was another morning qualifying practice session before an afternoon free practice hour when the race set-up is tried.

Fogarty added: "For the first time this year the team have pushed me really hard to do 15 laps without a stop. Hopefully that will tell us whether we will use a particular type of tyre.

"Then, after doing two rounds of practice, you throw that out of the window for superpole.

"There's a lot at stake and a lot to lose. It can mean the difference between starting on the front row or the fourth."

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