Yamaha Motor Company Ltd. and Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. marked the second year of their MotoGP partnership today, at the official 2008 Fiat Yamaha Team Launch in Turin, Italy. The presentation was hosted by Italian TV star Simona Ventura and took place at the historic Lingotto building, which was Fiat’s car factory from 1923 until 1982.
The building, which features a unique rooftop test track, played host to a different type of wheel power today when the new 2008 YZR-M1s, sporting an updated version of the Fiat Yamaha Team’s eye-catching white and blue livery, were unveiled. Yamaha’s double MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi was present at the ceremony alongside his new team-mate, 20-year-old Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo, who is making the step up to MotoGP after two years as 250cc World Champion.
Also present today were Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing Srl, Masahiko Nakajima, Fiat Yamaha Team Director and YZR-M1 Project Leader, Davide Brivio and Daniele Romagnoli, Fiat Yamaha Team Managers, and Lorenzo Sistino, CEO of the Fiat brand.
"I’m very happy that we’re so close to the start of racing," said Rossi, who will contest this season on Bridgestone tyres for the first time. "This is a very important year for us and our only aim is to win, although it’s going to be hard work. My hand is much better, if not yet perfect, and I’m looking forward to getting back on the bike in Sepang next week. Everyone has been working very hard over the winter and I think our new bike is quite good, although of course we still have a lot of work to do. Everyone is very motivated and I know that we have the best team there is."
Lorenzo, whose M1 will be Michelin-shod this season, enjoyed his first official day as a Yamaha rider. "I’m very happy to be here, with these people, this bike and in this team. I have a long way to go in my development but I have improved each time I’ve ridden the bike and the last test especially was very good. I’m very excited about this season and it’s a great honour to share the garage with Valentino, who is without doubt the most complete talent in our sport."
Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing, commented, "We’re very pleased to be continuing our strong partnership with our title sponsor Fiat. Meanwhile, the most important change to our team is the arrival of Jorge Lorenzo as Valentino Rossi’s new team-mate. Our aim is to recapture the title and, as our most experienced rider, this is Valentino’s clear mission. However we also expect Jorge to be fighting at the front as he gains experience. We have two multiple World Championship winning riders in our team and we believe we have optimum chance to realise our ambitions.
"As well as continuing with Fiat, we also enter into a second year with Official Sponsors AIA and ACER, and we’re also delighted to announce today the arrival of a new Official Sponsor in solar-energy company KERSELF, with whom we have concluded a two-year sponsorship agreement. Another important new partner is YAMALUBE, Yamaha’s own high performance lubricants brand. Plus, as everyone knows, this season we will be working with both Michelin and Bridgestone tyre brands and we would like to thank them, as well as all our official sponsors and suppliers, for their continued support."
"The Fiat Yamaha initiative has been a success for Fiat from the start," added Lorenzo Sistino, CEO of the Fiat brand. "The team is young, successful and dynamic and MotoGP brings us very close to our target market and gives us great visibility, not only in Italy but worldwide. We’re looking forward to another great year with Yamaha."
The Fiat Yamaha Team’s 2008 campaign gets underway in Sepang, Malaysia next week with the first of four pre-season tests. The 18-round MotoGP season commences in Qatar on 9th of March.
... as Lorenzo's third Yamaha test gets underway in Jerez
Valentino Rossi, back in action for the first time since breaking his hand in Valencia, tested his Yamaha M1 on Bridgestone tyres for the first time today at the Spanish circuit of Jerez. The three-day test is the final test of 2007 and Rossi was joined in the garage by his new 2008 team-mat ... mehr
Future Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo rounded off his second test with the factory with more steady improvement in Malaysia today, bettering his lap time from yesterday by almost a second. After intermittent rain for the last two days, the MotoGP teams were rewarded with a completely dry day today and Lorenzo made the most of the time available, completing 83 laps of the 5,548m circu ... mehr
The Fiat Yamaha Team completed an intense second day of testing in Malaysia with 2008 rider Jorge Lorezo today, despite a wet track first thing delaying the start of action until after midday. Heavy rain overnight and an overcast sky throughout the morning meant the Sepang track took a long time to dry out but, once the sun finally shone through the clouds, the temperature quickl ... mehr
Reigning 250cc World Champion Jorge Lorenzo, who will ride for the Fiat Yamaha Team in 2008, got his first taste of the YZR-M1 today as he tested with Yamaha for the first time in Valencia this afternoon.
Valentino Rossi, who will partner Lorenzo next season, has returned home for further treatment on his right hand, which he broke during qualifying last Saturday. 20-yea ... mehr
Following the conclusion of the 2007 season, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd and Yamaha Motor Racing Srl are pleased to be able to confirm the final line-up of their 2008 Factory Team.
Seven-time World Champion Valentino Rossi and two time 250cc World Champion Jorge Lorenzo will contest the 2008 MotoGP World Championship as team-mates in the Fiat Yamaha Team.
Yamaha can a ... mehr
KTM has announced the recruitment to Grand Prix racing for the 2008 season of 14-year old Spanish talent Marc Márquez. The announcement was made at the final Grand Prix of the 2007 season at Valencia, Spain.
Márquez will join the planned Team Repsol KTM with Alberto Puig as Team Director and Emilio Alzamora as marc's personal consultant. Alzamora, a former world ... mehr
Pole sitter Kallio snatches final 250cc Grand Prix at Valencia
Red Bull KTM rider and master tactician Mika Kallio rode a cool headed race at the 250 cc Grand Prix on the Valencia circuit Sunday to snatch victory in the final laps of the last 250 cc world championship race of the season.
Kallio, no stranger to the 125cc podium in V ... mehr
Rider Standings 04/11/2007
1. Casey Stoner Ducati AUS 367
2. Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 242
3. Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 241
4. John Hopkins Suzuki USA 189
5. Marco Melandri Honda ITA 187
6. Chris Vermeulen Suzuki AUS 179
7. Loris Capirossi Ducati ITA 166
8. Nicky Hayden Honda USA 127
9. Colin ... mehr
Valentino Rossi's hopes of securing the runner-up spot in the championship ended in the unluckiest of fashions today, when a technical issue brought the injured Italian's race to a premature end in Valencia. His Fiat Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards also had a disappointing race and finished 13th in his final race for the Factory Team, after starting from 15th.
Having brok ... mehr
QUALIFYING 1 GP SPAIN
The final round of the 2007 MotoGP World Championship kicked off in Spain today, as the curtain came up on the traditional season-ending Grand Prix in Valencia. Fiat Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards had a less than perfect start to the weekend however as they lacked traction and finished the day eighth and thirteen ... mehr
A challenging first season of 800cc Grand Prix racing comes to an end this weekend as the eighteenth and final round of the 2007 MotoGP World Championship takes place at Valencia in Spain. The traditional season curtain call at the Ricardo Tormo circuit marks the conclusion of a difficult campaign for the Fiat Yamaha Team, although Valentino Rossi does have the chance to salvage ... mehr
Fiat Yamaha Team rider Valentino rounded off a difficult weekend with a strong ride in today's Malaysian Grand Prix, bringing his Yamaha M1 home in fifth position from ninth on the grid. His team-mate Colin Edwards, who started from 13th, finished 11th.
The usual hot and steamy Sepang conditions ensured that the 21-lap race would be a test of stamina for all 20 riders on ... mehr
Hiroshi Aoyama came out of nowhere in the closing seconds of the second 250cc qualifying practice for the Malaysian 250 cc Grand prix to statch the pole from Red Bull KTM team-mate Mika Kallio by a mere three hundredths of a second.
Aoyama said he had constantly run into traffic when attempting a fast lap but eventually he saw his opportunity. "It was only at th ... mehr
Fiat Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards are faced with a difficult challenge for tomorrow's Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang after struggling during qualifying this afternoon. The team worked hard throughout the day to rectify the lack of grip from which both riders have been suffering, but they were unable to find a competitive package and the pair now face a dau ... mehr
FREE PRACTICE
The Malaysian Grand Prix, the penultimate round of the 2007 season, got off to a poor start for Fiat Yamaha Team riders Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi today, the pair finishing the day a lowly 14th and 16th in the standings. The combined timesheets were topped by Randy de Puniet after a best lap of 2'02.917.
With the track having been comp ... mehr
The Fiat Yamaha Team head straight from Australia to Malaysia this week as they contest the second Grand Prix in just seven days, with the penultimate race of the season set to take place at the Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur.
Yamaha have been the most successful manufacturer in MotoGP at the ultra modern circuit, taking three victories from eight visits, a ... mehr
Fiat Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi claimed his tenth consecutive career podium at Phillip Island today, taking third place and clocking the fastest lap of the race in the process. Team-mate Colin Edwards finished ninth in a race that was won by Casey Stoner, with Loris Capirossi second.
Starting second on the grid, Rossi slipped to fourth but passed Dani Pedrosa on l ... mehr
Phillip Island greeted the MotoGP paddock with a full spectrum of unstable conditions today, as the weather switched back and forth between heavy rain and bright sunshine.
Temperatures remained cool throughout the day thanks to a cold wind off the Bass Straight and it was a delicate day of set-up work for the Fiat Yamaha Team. Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards, both spor ... mehr
The Fiat Yamaha Team of Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards will run a special one-off livery on their bikes and leathers for the Australian Grand Prix in Phillip Island this weekend, starting from Free Practice. The livery has been inspired by the famous ‘Abarth' brand, a division of Fiat Automobiles SpA.
The Abarth brand has been re-launched by Fiat this year with severa ... mehr
The Fiat Yamaha Team head for the ante-penultimate instalment of this year's MotoGP World Championship in Australia this weekend in the knowledge that the title has slipped from their grasp but with the clear focus of race wins and improved performance from the YZR-M1 machine to come over the last three rounds.
Whilst the long-term target of the team has switched to a st ... mehr
Fiat Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards had no time to dwell on the disappointment of yesterday’s Japanese Grand Prix, getting back out on track today for another one-day test.
With the championship now decided, Rossi and Edwards are both focused on ending the season on a high-note with three good races, and it was with this in mind that the riders put ... mehr
MotoGP World Championship Grand Prix Round 15
Elias On Podium As Rain Throws Race Into Chaos Qualifying
This was the MotoGP contest that defined the season with Casey Stoner securing his World MotoGP Championship title as Loris Capirossi (both Ducati) won from Kawasaki’s Randy de Puniet with Toni Elias (Gresini Honda RC212V) third in Japan.
... mehr
Rider Standings 23/09/2007
1. Casey Stoner Ducati AUS 297
2. Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 214
3. Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 188
4. John Hopkins Suzuki USA 156
5. Chris Vermeulen Suzuki AUS 152
6. Marco Melandri Honda ITA 148
7. Loris Capirossi Ducati ITA 130
8. Nicky Hayden Honda USA 112
9. Colin ... mehr
Weather and tyre issues brought about an end to Valentino Rossi's slim title chances today, as he finished 13th in Motegi despite a heroic ride which saw him lead the race at one point. His Fiat Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards suffered similar problems in what was an extraordinary race, finishing one place behind Rossi in 14th.
With the asphalt still wet after a morning o ... mehr
While their 250cc Red Bull KTM team-mates celebrated a victory on the Motegi Racing Circuit, KTM's three-rider line-up in the 125 cc class experienced a difficult day and left the Japanese Grand Prix disappointed
Tomoyoshi Koyama, who had been very fast in training and had wanted to do well on his home circuit, experienced tyre grip problems and was only able to ... mehr
Red Bull KTM 250 star Mika Kallio rode to his maiden 250 cc victory in Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix to score a hat-trick on the Motegi circuit, an appropriate way to also mark the birth of his first child, a baby girl born last Sunday
Kallio won the 125 cc races on this circuit in 2005 and 2006. "It looks like Motegi is a very good track for us," he said. The 24 ... mehr
Japanese Grand Prix Motegi Qualifying
Valentino Rossi sealed his tenth front-row start of the season ahead of tomorrow's Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi today, the Italian taking second place on an all-Michelin front row in between Dani Pedrosa and Nicky Hayden. Colin Edwards also had a good session, qualifying seventh at the head of the third row.
After mak ... mehr
Scorching sunshine welcomed the MotoGP paddock to Motegi today as the fifteenth round of the season got underway at the Japanese track. Temperatures reached a maximum of 34 degrees during this afternoon's free practice and it was a difficult day's work for the riders and teams alike, with Fiat Yamaha pair Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi finishing the day 11th and 14th respectiv ... mehr
The Red Bull KTM Team returns to Japan this weekend pumped with confidence. The team scored victories in both classes on the famous circuit last season, the bikes are expected to do well and both Aoyama and Koyama are riding in front of their home crowd.
Last year's Grand Prix in Motegi was unforgettable for KTM. Mika Kallio out-braked newly-crowned world champi ... mehr
Continuing improvements with the Yamaha YZR-M1 machine and the enhanced performance of Michelin's latest tyres make for another promising weekend ahead as the Fiat Yamaha Team head east for the next round of the MotoGP World Championship in Japan this weekend. A frantic pack-up operation took place at the Estoril circuit on Sunday evening as the entire paddock prepared to make th ... mehr
Valentino Rossi made a triumphant return to the top step of the podium in Estoril today, sealing his fourth victory of the season with a masterful ride to victory in front of Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner.
Rossi's eighth consecutive podium finish at this circuit was his first in six races, since his last victory at Assen back in June. Colin Edwards was unable to match hi ... mehr
The Fiat Yamaha Team make the Mediterranean road trip from the east coast of Italy to the west coast of Portugal this week aiming to put their biggest disappointment of the season behind them after a home Grand Prix to forget at Misano.
Valentino Rossi's retirement from that race was his fourth non-podium finish in as many races - his worst run since 2000 - whilst tyre p ... mehr
Aoyama second in Misano for third consecutive 250cc podium
Red Bull KTM 250 cc rider Hiroshi Aoyama battled his way to a fantastic second place in Sunday's Grand Prix of San Marino to celebrate his third podium finish in three races.
The Japanese hero, winner of this year's German Grand Prix, started in seventh position but moved up the ranks wit ... mehr
Valentino Rossi's hopes of a glorious homecoming to Misano ended after just five laps today, when an engine problem forced the Fiat Yamaha Team rider to retire when running strongly in fourth position. Rossi's team-mate Colin Edwards meanwhile struggled with rear grip in the later stages and was only able to bring his YZR-M1 home in his starting position of ninth.
With t ... mehr
Water, water, water...
YAMAHA - FREE PRACTICE REPORT 31/08/2007
Grand Prix Motorcycle racing returned to the Adriatic holiday resort of Misano for the first time in fourteen years today, but the party was well and truly spoilt by the Italian weather as fierce storms turned the first day into a washout. After the paddock was welcomed ... mehr
The Fiat Yamaha Team make the short trip from their Milan base to the Adriatic coast this weekend for their second 'home' race of the season as the MotoGP World Championship returns to Misano following a fourteen-year hiatus. The late summer trip to the lively party resort will be anything but a holiday for Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards, however, as they look to overhaul a di ... mehr
Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards rounded off two days of intensive work at Brno today, following Sunday's Czech Grand Prix. After heavy rain yesterday evening the track was still damp this morning, which delayed the start of action, but conditions improved throughout the day and both Rossi and Edwards managed to complete their planned testing programmes.
Once again both ... mehr
After the disappointment of yesterday's Czech Grand Prix, it was back to the drawing board today for Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards as they embarked on the traditional two-day test at Brno, alongside almost the entire MotoGP paddock. The sun shone until mid-afternoon when it clouded over, eventually giving way to rain at about 4.30 pm.
The main focus of the test for b ... mehr
The wooded hills of Brno, thronged by 141,632 spectators, proved a less than happy hunting ground for the Fiat Yamaha Team at today's Czech Grand Prix. Valentino Rossi was dogged by traction problems almost from the start and was only able to hang on for seventh, whilst Colin Edwards slid out of the race on the second lap.
Starting from sixth, Rossi slipped one place at ... mehr
Yamaha Motor Company Ltd. and Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. marked the second year of their MotoGP partnership today, at the official 2008 Fiat Yamaha Team Launch in Turin, Italy. The presentation was hosted by Italian TV star Simona Ventura and took place at the historic Lingotto building, which was Fiat’s car factory from 1923 until 1982. 
"I’m very happy that we’re so close to the start of racing," said Rossi, who will contest this season on Bridgestone tyres for the first time. "This is a very important year for us and our only aim is to win, although it’s going to be hard work. My hand is much better, if not yet perfect, and I’m looking forward to getting back on the bike in Sepang next week. Everyone has been working very hard over the winter and I think our new bike is quite good, although of course we still have a lot of work to do. Everyone is very motivated and I know that we have the best team there is." 
Championship winning riders in our team and we believe we have optimum chance to realise our ambitions. 
"The Fiat Yamaha initiative has been a success for Fiat from the start," added Lorenzo Sistino, CEO of the Fiat brand. "The team is young, successful and dynamic and MotoGP brings us very close to our target market and gives us great visibility, not only in Italy but worldwide. We’re looking forward to another great year with Yamaha." 
