This has subsequently sent so-called “silly season” into overdrive with regards to riders’ contracts, especially with Ducati’s Valentino Rossi considering his future options for next year.

Spies, speaking ahead of the first race in the stateside double header, had leaked snippets of information earlier in the week about his plans to leave the Japanese racing outfit.

“I’ve known for quite a bit what my personal decision was and I thought this was the right time to do it with all the contracts happening with other riders.

“There’s a litany of reasons behind it – just getting back to stress-free and doing what I want to do and finish out the season strong. That’s all that’s going to be said about it at this point until I’m ready to talk about the future. It’s not going to change anything.

“For sure, especially at Laguna we’re going to give 100% and we want to do what we’re capable of doing and what the bike’s capable of doing for the team.

“Nothing changes from that standpoint. I just made a decision, and wanted to get it off my chest and out of the way. Now that we’ve done that now I feel like the weight of the world is off my shoulders and I can do what I set out to do.”

Since the American’s earlier announcements, Rossi, a previous Yamaha rider, has had the rumour mill turning at ever greater speed, as speculation over his future in 2013 mounts.

“The situation is quite clear. I still haven’t decided, as it is a bit to early. I have spoken a lot with Ducati about next year, but still waiting for some important ties and some important things on the contract. And I also have some other options for next year. But I think the situation will be clearer in the next weeks, and I think in the summer break I will decide about next year.”

Following a test after the last race that was stopped short with technical issues, he is not racing with as many upgrades this weekend as previously hoped.

“More or less we have the same bike from Mugello, and we have to wait a bit more for something different. This track is very tough; it’s something different compared to most of the other tracks,” he said.

“It’s more old style up-and-down, very tricky, but I like it. For this year we need to improve at the beginning (of the race) where I’m not able to go fast enough with the top guys. So we have some ideas for the settings this weekend to try and improve that.”

Spies’ team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, who comes to the US in   form after a dominant win in Mugello two weeks ago, is confident ahead of the race.

“Fortunately for us in the last race in Mugello we got the victory and now we have quite a big advantage. It’s only 19 points, but it’s better to have it than not to have it.

And now we come to a track that I have been quite fast at in the past, and it’s always special to race here in America.