Yamaha and Movistar Join Forces for 5-year MotoGP Title Sponsor Program

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Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd can today make one of the most significant partnership announcements in recent years of the MotoGP World Championship. The exceptional agreement sees TELEFONICA DE ESPAÑA, S.A joining Yamaha with its renowned Movistar brand as Title Sponsor of the Yamaha Factory Racing Team for an extensive five-year contract.

The joining of these two iconic names from the premier class of motorcycle racing creates a new name for the team. Starting from the first race of the 2014 season, the team will be known as the “Movistar Yamaha MotoGP” Team and riders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi will embark on their title challenge under the floodlights of Qatar on 23rd March under this name.

The Movistar brand will feature prominently on all team assets (YZR-M1, riders’ leathers, team uniform, pit-garage, trucks, hospitality) for the next five years. 

The new official team logo is made public today but the full 2014 Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team livery will only be unveiled on Wednesday 19th March in Losail, Qatar, just before the opening race.

Lin Jarvis

Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing

"This is a big day for the sport. We are delighted to be able to welcome the Movistar brand back into the world of MotoGP in such spectacular fashion. Dedicated fans of motorcycle racing will know that Movistar has a strong history in the sport, and in the past they supported many talented young riders who later evolved to be the top stars in the MotoGP class. We are therefore honoured that they chose Yamaha as their partner to re-enter motorcycle racing. 

The 5 year partnership provides an incredibly stable platform for both parties to fully exploit the relationship and make plans not just in the short-term but also strategically over a longer period. Their long-term commitment is also a strong sign of confidence in the sport and provides reassurance to the other sponsors and partners involved with our team. 

We also believe the activation and promotion that Movistar will bring will also help to raise awareness and interest in our championship from brands not yet involved in MotoGP. 

The Movistar announcement is the last and most significant of our planned sponsor agreements for this season. We are delighted to have such a full portfolio of premium brands now onboard with us as we make final preparations for our 2014 title challenge campaign. 

We’re keen now to get to the start grid under the floodlights and kick off our title challenge together!"

Dante Cacciatore

Director of Communication and Customer Experience, Telefónica Spain

Movistar is coming back to MotoGP; this moment is going to be one of the most important landmarks for our company history in 2014. Even though the adrenaline and engine sounds and even the smell of the gasoline and the support of the fans are yet to flow through our veins it's impossible for us to be much more excited. This return couldn`t have been a better kick off. We have decided to join Yamaha Factory Racing as a travel partner to embark on the same journey together. The team has achieved nine world championship titles and holds two magnificent world champions in Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo. 

To speak of Yamaha is to speak of motorcycling, and not only that. It is to speak of the essence of teamwork at its best and the passion of proudly waving a flag of true racing heritage in front of a passionate crowd who support on each turn and on each straight. These values are identical to those we share at Movistar. It is a huge honour to belong to this new family that we receive with open arms. We are hungry and really looking forward to seeing the start lights go out in Qatar. Now is the time to live this dream; welcome to Movistar Yamaha MotoGP!

Jorge Lorenzo

"I am so happy with this announcement and the arrival of such a big, key sponsor as Movistar. This is an enormous partner that is not just Spanish like me but also that shares a big history in the past of the motorsport, especially in motorcycling. Now they’re back in MotoGP and more importantly, they have made a perfect marriage with Yamaha! It’s great to see such an important company as Movistar make a return to motorcycle racing with such a large scale sponsoring activity. I know we can have a great journey battling for the championship alongside them and looking into the future we will do a great job together to achieve loads of success. Welcome Movistar again to this amazing sport that we love, and of course welcome to the Yamaha family!"

Valentino Rossi

It’s really a great pleasure to know that Movistar will be joining Yamaha Factory Racing in MotoGP. I am also very happy that Yamaha have a new title sponsor! It will be a very important season for me and for Yamaha. We have always been very motivated but this news has brought new enthusiasm and this is a very positive thing. At this time the team is very busy in the pre-season tests, we are working very hard because we want to make a fantastic season. This goal I believe is important for our new sponsor. We will definitely try our best to be protagonists at every race. I give my best wishes to Movistar for this new adventure!

Yamaha Factory Racing Press Release

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Yamaha Factory Team Review Sepang MotoGP Test Day 3

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Yamaha Factory Racing’s Valentino Rossi has completed the second official test of the 2014 MotoGP season as the fastest rider. Rossi wrapped up the three days of riding at the Sepang International circuit in Malaysia with a fastest time of 1’59.999, one of only two riders to drop under the two minute mark after an impressive fastest lap today.

Whilst still struggling to find a perfect solution to the new Bridgestone tyres, Jorge Lorenzo was able to find a change to make some improvement to set up today. The Mallorcan was still less than satisfied overall with the grip levels on offer from the 2014 rubber. Lorenzo was able to step a little closer to the front than yesterday, wrapping up in seventh, just over 0.6 of a second from his teammate in first. 

The Team now move directly to Phillip Island in Australia for a further test before the season kicks off under the floodlights of Qatar on the 23rd March.

Valentino Rossi

1st | 1'59.999 | 41 Laps

“First of all I am very happy because I am in first position and I did a good lap. I was one of the only ones in the 1’59s which is positive, especially because with the 2014 tyres in the first test we tried a time attack and I was more than one second slower than today. This test we have always been at the top and fighting for the first position so it’s positive. We still have some problems when it’s very hot over long distance with the new tyres, so we still have to work, but we made a good step from the first test. The next test in Philip Island will be very important to understand if also there we improved a lot like here because I am more than one second faster than the second test of last year so we have been working well.”

Jorge Lorenzo

7th | 2'00.619 | 70 Laps

“We found a better solution today to improve our situation and adapt these tyres at this track. The tyres are much harder in the sidewalls. At this track, with this tarmac that is very slippery, it’s not the same as Phillip Island or Mugello for example, it’s impossible for us to be competitive. This tyre is much worse for Yamaha and better for Honda. Our bike is competitive, at a similar level to the competitors but with the tyre we have problems. We tried a simulation today and it was worse and worse every lap. In the edge there is a problem with no grip but also when you pick up the bike it spins. You can improve the feeling a little to get more grip but when the tyre starts to drop the problems get worse and worse.”

Yamaha factory Team Press Release

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Yamaha Factory Team Review Sepang MotoGP Test Day 2

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Yamaha Factory Racing riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo completed the second of the three days of testing today that mark the second official test of the 2014 MotoGP pre-season schedule.

The riders were again out at the Sepang International circuit in Malaysia, putting their 2014 YZR-M1 machines to the test as they continue to look for the optimum set up using the new 2014 Bridgestone tyres.

Valentino Rossi was able to improve on his time of yesterday, taking nearly seven tenths of a second off to move up to fourth place in the overall timesheets for the day.

Jorge Lorenzo continues to find the 2014 tyres challenging in the hunt for the perfect set up. The Mallorcan was unable to make a big step forward today and completed the second day in ninth, just over a second from the front man Dani Pedrosa.

Valentino Rossi

4th | 2'00.605 | 60 Laps

“The main issue for this test is to try and improve our M1 with the new 2014 tyre. We tried some things but at the end of the day we are not very happy. I am in fourth place, the lap time is quite good but we are half a second behind the other guys. We are suffering with this tyre; our bike becomes difficult to manage. Tomorrow we will try again but we have not so many options. Every track has a different story but we are quite worried because it looks like we are in trouble with this tyre. We hope that in other tracks we will have less problems but here in Sepang, especially compared to the first test, it is more difficult.”

Jorge Lorenzo

9th | 2'01.049 | 57 Laps

“Today I am very disappointed, especially in the tyre behaviour. Nothing has changed compared to yesterday. I still don't have the confidence to ride as I want to. Tomorrow is another day, we still have eight hours to find the right way so we will work hard and hopefully by the end of tomorrow we will have solutions.”

Yamaha Factory Racing Press Release

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Yamaha Factory Team Review Sepang MotoGP Test Day 1

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Yamaha Factory Racing riders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi returned to work today as the second Sepang test of the 2014 MotoGP pre-season schedule got underway in Malaysia.

The riders were able to further test developments from the first Sepang session a few weeks ago along with some work on the new Bridgestone tyres. Unfortunately the Sepang circuit was much dirtier than the first test following some four-wheeled activity on the track, making it difficult for the riders to replicate their form from the previous visit.

Lorenzo ended the first day in fifth position, 0.310 seconds from first and less than satisfied with the new rubber. The Mallorcan will return to the track tomorrow determined to find a way to make the 2014 tyres work effectively with the YZR-M1.

Following from a very successful first test, Rossi was hard at work today, putting in an impressive number of laps whilst working on improving the balance of his M1. The Italian led the session briefly earlier on, slipping to seventh overall, 0.5 seconds from the front as he too explored set up options with the 2014 tyre choices.

Jorge Lorenzo

5th | 2'01.158 | 56 Laps

“The new rear tyres, both the soft and the hard, are not working properly on our M1. We tried many things but for the moment we haven’t found any solutions. Tomorrow we are going to try something different with the electronics that worked last year to try to improve a little bit because we are not so good today. The tyres don't give me any confidence in the corner entry, in the middle of the corner and on acceleration. It seems Bridgestone will not be providing different tyres this year so we have to adapt to the situation.”

Valentino Rossi

7th | 2'01.349 | 65 Laps

“The track is not fantastic. Especially if you compare it to the first test where it was very good. A lot of cars have used the track and there is some oil in some places, the track is very dirty so it is more difficult to get to a good lap time. In the end we were coming better though. We worked a lot on all aspects; we tried to find a right balance, concentrating on the braking. Especially we tried to make the best setting for the new tyres because in the first test we used old tyres from 2013 that were good for the M1. We have a problem with the 2014 ones so we have to concentrate to take the maximum benefit from them but already at the end of today it was not so bad.”

Yamaha Factory Team Press Release

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Yamaha Factory Team Review Sepang MotoGP Test Day 3

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Yamaha Factory Racing riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo today completed the third and final day of the first official test of the 2014 MotoGP pre-season activity at the Sepang International circuit in Malaysia.

The test proved to be a successful one for both riders, with Rossi especially happy at the end of today’s riding. The nine-time world champion was able to record his best ever time at the Sepang circuit, dropping under the 2’00 minute mark to finish in second place less than two tenths from front man Marc Marquez.

Rossi and Lorenzo both undertook a race simulation in the stifling Malaysian heat this afternoon to shake the 2014 M1 down over race distance.

Four–time world champion Lorenzo was also happy having completed the three days. The Mallorcan made good progress during the riding sessions, managing to closely replicate the feeling of the 2013 bike whilst making the big reductions in fuel required for the 2014 season. Lorenzo completed the final day in third position, just 0.333 seconds from the front.

Valentino Rossi

2nd | 1'59.727 | 55 Laps

“The test has been very good, I’m very happy, especially for the second position and more than that for the lap time which is the best of my career in Sepang. It’s the first time under 2’00 for me and just one tenth from Marc and the overall record of the track. I found a good feeling with the bike, we found some good solutions and it’s been very positive. We tried a simulation in the afternoon that was very good to understand any problems. We suffered a bit to keep a good pace but it wasn't so bad. For the first test the balance was good.”

Jorge Lorenzo

3rd | 1'59.866 | 65 Laps

“I think we improved a lot the lap time from yesterday but I didn't make a perfect lap. Maybe with softer tyres we could make a 1’59.5 or a 1’59.6. The goal was not to improve the one lap time but to improve the race pace which we did. When we tried a race simulation in hot conditions we found some problems where we didn't expect it, so the pace wasn't as good as we wanted. We’ve only practised in one track though which isn’t a Yamaha track historically, so let’s see what happens at the next Malaysia test and the other tracks. The evolution and the improvement is big so I’m quite satisfied. To have a similar feeling to last year with less fuel is a big thing.”

Yamaha Factory Team Press Release

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Yamaha Factory Team Review Sepang MotoGP Test Day 2

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The Yamaha Factory Racing riders were back on track today in Sepang for the second test day of the three days that mark the start of 2014 activity. Riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo continued to work through a number of different test items for the Yamaha engineers as well as some tyre testing for Bridgestone.

Rossi also took some time to work on bike set-up to improve performance and was able to improve on his time of yesterday, completing day two in fourth position, just over 0.5 seconds from the front.

Teammate Lorenzo had a better second day, making some improvements to the electronic setting of his YZR-M1 to provide further corner stability and overall lap time. Lorenzo wrapped up the second day in sixth position, just over 0.6 seconds from the front.

Valentino Rossi

4th | 2'00.464 | 61 Laps

“Today is another positive day, we worked a lot and I rode 60 laps. We tried a lot of things including new tyres and old tyres, to try to make a comparison. We worked on the settings of the bike and tried some other stuff, some things were good and some did not work as we expected. Anyway I’m happy because I improved my lap time from yesterday and I’m in fourth position and not far from the front. It was a tough second day after yesterday. Our work is in progress, we took some good data and tomorrow we have to do something else.”

Jorge Lorenzo

6th | 2'00.573 | 49 Laps

“So today, apart from the position which is not ideal, I think we made one step forward. Changing something in the electronics we improved the behaviour of the bike in the corners and it is now more like last year. I can keep a more constant pace and be a little faster for one lap. We need to keep working as our rivals are strong at this moment but today I’m more happy than yesterday.”

Yamaha Factory Team Press Release

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Yamaha Announce 2014 Global Racing Program

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Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. held the “2014 Yamaha Motor Sports Press Conference” today at the Sama-Sama Hotel in Sepang, Malaysia. In it, Yamaha Motor announced the newly established basic policies and positioning of its motor sport activities, the race series for the 2014 season and the Yamaha riders and teams that will be competing in them. 

As well as outlining this season’s direction for MotoGP, the pinnacle of motorcycle road racing, Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi from the YAMAHA FACTORY RACING team and Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaró from the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team were in attendance and conveyed their ambitions for this season and their impressions of the 2014 “YZR-M1” machine. 

Also, as part of the initiative to bring more constructors to the grid and more excitement to MotoGP, Yamaha Motor introduced its YZR-M1 engine leasing agreement. Leasing will begin this season in what is a first for Yamaha Motor, and lessee Team NGM Mobile Forward Racing also made a guest appearance at the event.

Takaaki Kimura

Representative Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer

“Motorsports are in Yamaha's DNA, and challenging ourselves through them has been an integral part of our corporate culture for over 50 years. Motorsport participation is also a direct embodiment of our brand slogan ‘Revs your Heart.’ The three basic policies of our racing activities are: branding, feedback of technology and promotional activities, and we will put them into action on a global level. To that end, we will aim for success in the premier class of MotoGP to bring Kando* to fans around the world, and work together with our group companies in each region in promotional activities, strengthening race environment and infrastructure, and nurturing the next generation of riders by providing them with more opportunities and putting in place a tiered structure they can work up through to reach greater heights. We hope that everyone will look forward to the results of Yamaha Motor’s ongoing challenge to ‘Rev your Heart’ through motorsports.”

Yamaha Factory Racing Press Release

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Yamaha Factory Team Review Sepang MotoGP Test Day 1

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After a long winter wait the Yamaha Factory Racing riders were finally back on track today for the first official ride of the 2014 season at the Sepang International circuit in Malaysia. The first day of the three-day IRTA test gave riders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi a chance to blow off the cobwebs and stretch their muscles on a bike again as they worked through a number of test items for the 2014 YZR-M1.

Rossi, the first Factory rider to venture out on track, was also the first to find a quicker pace on his M1, slotting quickly into the top three and leading briefly before the lunch break. As the afternoon session continued the Italian was joined by his teammate Lorenzo who moved up into second, just 0.3 off front man Marc Marquez. A flurry of fast laps towards the end of the session re-shuffled the pack a little, Rossi ending the day in second, 0.518 from the top and Lorenzo in fourth, 0.796 seconds from first.

The Yamaha Factory riders were enjoying their 2014 bikes in full livery, featuring recently announced sponsors Eurasian Bank, Fiat Professional and SuisseGas.

The bikes also had a special sticker stating ‘Yamaha Lends a Hand to Yolanda Victims’ to promote Yamaha’s campaign to support victims of the typhoon in the Philippines.

The day’s testing was followed by a special press conference hosted by Yamaha Motor, introducing Yamaha’s Global 2014 Racing Program. The event was also attended by Takaaki Kimura, Senior Managing Executive Officer and Representative Director of Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.

Valentino Rossi

2nd | 2'00.804 | 61 Laps

“I’m happy about the first day, it's a good start. I feel good and I’m in a good shape. I’m happy because we’ve been very fast and always stayed in the top three positions. We worked a lot on the bike and on the new stuff to try and improve my problems. We already found something. I’m happy because I feel good with the bike and was able to go into the 2’00 minute mark, that was my target. It's a positive day.”

Jorge Lorenzo

4th | 2'01.082 | 47 Laps

“As always it’s difficult to come back again in a good shape after the Winter, some months without training changes you a lot so the first day is always tough! The bike has changed quite a bit compared to last year. The new regulation of 20 litres fuel allowance makes us change quite a lot of electronics so the bike is not working exactly how I would like. I know we will find a solution in the next two days.”

Yamaha Factory Team Press Release

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Yamaha Factory Racing Team Review Test MotoGP Valencia Day 2

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Yamaha Factory Racing wrapped up their final day of on-track work for 2013 today in the second of the three days of official testing at Valencia. Riders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi will not continue to ride tomorrow having completed the testing schedule required by Yamaha. 

Both riders again tested an early version of the 2014 YZR-M1 along with working on a set up to reduce fuel consumption ahead of the rule changes for 2014 which will see a reduction in allowance of fuel for the MotoGP races. Lorenzo and Rossi will now take a well-earned break before returning to the track for the first official IRTA test of 2014 in Sepang, Malaysia.

Jorge Lorenzo

“We tested next year’s bike today and we found some positive things. We are trying some small details that will give us some small advantages. We will wait for Sepang to have bigger and more important modifications.”

Valentino Rossi

“Today we focused on the new bike and it was a little bit more difficult than yesterday. We worked a lot to try to test some new systems for the fuel consumption and the settings; it has been a good test. At the end the performance wasn't fantastic but we made an important job for winter to arrive competitive next year. During this season I wasn't strong enough in braking so this is the target to improve.”

Yamaha Factory Racing Team Press Release

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Yamaha Factory Team Review Valencia MotoGP Test Day 1

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Less than 24hrs from the end to the 2013 season Yamaha Factory Racing riders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi were back out on track today. This afternoon’s session was the first of three test days marking the start of the official 2014 pre-season test schedule.

Both riders spent some time evaluating the 2014 YZR-M1 alongside a 2013 reference machine. Lorenzo and Rossi also made some laps with the new standard ECU that will be used as part of the 2014 regulations. Today was Rossi’s first riding session with new crew chief Silvano Galbusera.

Jorge Lorenzo

“We tried many small things today and some have been very positive so we are quite satisfied. I feel good and I feel in good shape. We were able to give good information to the engineers so everything is going well so far and we are looking forward to continuing tomorrow.”

Valentino Rossi

“Today was very emotional, it was something different. We were working a long time with Jeremy so today was like a restart from the beginning but I’m happy and I’m satisfied with the day. I know Silvano already from Superbike as I did some testing in 2010 with the R1 together with him and I liked the way we worked. It’s just the first day but anyway it was a good day for me, I was faster and we worked well on the bike. The condition of the track and the weather were perfect so I enjoyed it a lot. We worked with both bikes, I liked the new one a lot, it has good power exit from the corners and the chassis gives a good feeling on the front so the first impression is very positive.”

Yamaha Factory Racing Press Release

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Yamaha Factory Racing Review Race MotoGP Valencia

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Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo wrapped up the 2013 MotoGP season today with victory in the Gran Premio Generali de la Comunitat Valenciana, his third consecutive victory of the season. Trailing leader Marc Marquez by 13 points going into the race, Lorenzo had nothing to lose and everything to gain as the Spanish showdown unfolded in front of a record crowd of 104,000 race fans at the Ricardo Tormo circuit. 

Taking off past Marquez from second on the grid, the 2012 world champion took the holeshot and control of the race. Lorenzo kept the pace down on the opening laps, hoping to bring the chasing pack into play to challenge Marquez. The daring strategy allowed Dani Pedrosa to attack, the two rivals entering an intense battle over several laps as they swapped positions countless times in a stunning display of riding skill at the limit. Pedrosa was to end up the loser in the exchange as the two touched going into turn two with 21 laps to go. Pedrosa ran wide, losing position as he rejoined the race. 

The incident allowed Marquez to briefly pass Lorenzo for the lead but he was only allowed to stay ahead for a lap before Lorenzo reclaimed the front on lap 11, putting the hammer down to reel off a number of 1’31 second laps as he flew to his eighth win of the season. 

Teammate Valentino Rossi moved up to fourth off the line after a good start, chasing Marquez into the first corner with Alvaro Bautista in hot pursuit behind. As the race unwound Bautista was able to make a pass on Rossi but with 19 laps to go the nine-time world champion showed his mastery of late braking, taking third position back from the Spanish rider. The provisional podium position was not to last as a recovering Pedrosa re-passed on his way to second, leaving Rossi to claim fourth at the line. 

Despite dominating not just the last quarter of the season but the final race, it was not enough to overcome the points difference to Marquez, leaving Lorenzo to claim a worthy second place in the standings after an incredible season of unrivalled performances. Rossi’s eighth fourth place finish of the season was enough to secure him fourth in the final standings.

Jorge Lorenzo

“I slowed the start of the race a little but I think it didn't work out because the other riders, Bautista, Valentino, Crutchlow and the others needed some tenths more to stay there. I tried first and last to play a little bit with the race and I managed it quite well but I couldn't stay there for too long. When I looked behind I could see that Valentino was very far away so I thought that today it was better to concentrate on winning the race and waiting to see if Marc makes a mistake. Now we have to celebrate second in the standings which is a good place. We have to congratulate Marc because he really deserved the championship and we will make a party tonight!”

Valentino Rossi

“The race was not so bad, especially after this morning where I had a lot of problems and wasn't fast enough. Unfortunately I didn't have the pace to fight for the podium. I was able to stay close at the beginning and try to fight but after I didn't have the speed, like more or less all the season where I am two or three tenths slower compared to the top guys. For this reason I couldn’t challenge for the pole position, the race and the championship. The season was not so bad for me but we have to try more to increase our speed and our performance to fight for the podium more constantly. This is the target for 2014."

Yamaha Factory Racing Press Release

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Yamaha Factory Racing Review MotoGP Valencia Day 2

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Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo kept the pressure on today ahead of this weekend’s upcoming MotoGP title showdown, taking second on the grid in qualifying for tomorrow’s Gran Premio Generali de la Comunitat Valenciana. 

The defending world champion tackled the last qualifying session of the year in his usual style, first out onto the track and immediately on the pace. His first flying lap was a scorching 1’30.645, enough to drop under the current lap record and take provisional pole position. Lorenzo then returned immediately to the pits as he developed a technical issue with his number one bike. 

He returned to the track with just over six minutes remaining however the problem remained so he was forced to return to the pits again to switch to bike two. He was back out for the final moments and despite a less than perfect set up was able to drop his time further to a 1’30.577 to secure second position on the front row. 

Valentino Rossi took a moment at the start of the session to allow the pack to exit, offering clear track for his first hot lap attempt. The nine time world champion then got down to a 1’32.295 before returning to the pits for a fresh rear tyre. 

Back on track and the last minutes saw him pick up the pace, dropping under the 1’31 mark with a 1’30.920. The time was good enough to hold provisional third on the front row until a flurry of last minute hot laps from his rivals moved him to fourth.

Jorge Lorenzo

“One thing is qualifying, the other is the race. We tried our best for pole position but unfortunately bike number one had an issue when we had our second attempt at a fast lap. We went to the second bike but it was an older engine with a different character and it didn’t feel the same. If we make a good start tomorrow we can overtake Marquez and see what we can do in the race.”

Valentino Rossi

“I wanted to try for the front row but in the end I wasn’t able to which was a pity. Starting from the fourth position is not so bad. My lap time is quite good, I can go under the 31" mark so I am quite happy. Now we have to work hard and we have to decide the rear tyre for tomorrow so we can stay with the top three. With the soft tyre I was faster but everyone is now worried about it lasting for 30 laps. The hard is safer but we also have to go fast.”

Yamaha Factory Racing Press Release

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Yamaha Factory Racing Review MotoGP Valencia Day 1

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The defending champion carried his speed straight into the afternoon session, leading from the start. As rivals Marquez and Pedrosa increased the pace, Lorenzo made some set up changes and moved to second position behind Pedrosa. The last ten minutes then became a flurry of activity as the three Spaniards turned in hot laps, Lorenzo delivering a 1’31.378 to finish third in the combined times, 0.158 seconds from the top. 

Teammate Valentino Rossi started the weekend’s action strongly in the morning practice. The nine-time world champion led early on before dropping to sixth, just 0.68 seconds from the top as the frontrunners increased the pace. 

Rossi got straight down to business in the second practice, holding second on the timesheets from the beginning behind his teammate in first. By mid session the Italian was sitting in third place, having reduced the gap to the top to just over 0.3 of a second. As the later lap times tumbled Rossi was able to close the time gap from the morning session, finishing in fifth in the combined times with a 1’31.639, 0.419 seconds from first.

Jorge Lorenzo

“This afternoon was very windy so it was very difficult to make the same lap time of the morning but we managed to improve it a little bit. We adjusted the bike a little electronically and also the suspension. We are quite close to everyone and ready to keep working tomorrow.”

Valentino Rossi

“Today was not so bad, especially this afternoon. I am quite satisfied with the practice. The level is very high and the top seven or eight riders are very close. This afternoon we were able to close the gap, I am now just 0.4 from pole position and I have quite a good pace. I’m quite happy with the work on the bike. I’m quite fast in the middle of the track but I lose some time on T1 and T4 so we have to work a bit. We have to try to do a good result for the last race of the season, stay close to the top three and see what we can do.”

Yamaha Factory Racing Press Release

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Yamaha Factory Racing Preview MotoGP Valencia

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The MotoGP paddock returns to Spain this weekend for the final Grand Prix of the year, the Gran Premio Generali de la Comunitat Valenciana. 

With just 13 points separating defending champion Jorge Lorenzo and current leader Marc Marquez, the scene is set for a dramatic race on Sunday. 

Lorenzo arrives in his home country having won the last two races in Australia and Japan and determined to keep the pressure on, fully aware that anything could happen in the last race of the season. He can claim one premier class victory at the circuit in 2010 and a podium with third position in 2009. 

Teammate Valentino Rossi arrives in Spain intent on fighting for a podium spot and doing what he can to help Lorenzo retain the world title. The nine-time world champion has taken two premier class wins at Valencia in 2003 and 2004 and can claim multiple podiums with a second places in 2002 and 2009 and third places in 2005, 2008 and 2010. 

The Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia is a true stadium track that always attracts a record crowd to witness the final racing spectacle of the MotoGP season. Completed in 1999, the MotoGP circuit is a 4km run with five right hand corners, eight left and a 650metre straight.

Jorge Lorenzo

“So we come to the last race in Valencia. It’s going to be exciting, maybe the most exciting of all the season. We are still in the fight and that is the most important thing right now. I’m very stimulated because three races ago we thought the championship was over. Instead we have a chance to fight for the title. Valencia is my home race and it will be very emotional considering our position in the classification. We don’t have anything to lose but everything to win, and this card plays on our side. Maybe our main rival can feel much more pressure in Valencia than us because he is so close to victory. I look forward to riding there and pushing with all my force. If we can continue to ride at our level we can fight for the win and then wait for the circumstances. You never know what can happen, especially if the forecast is uncertain as it was last year. We trust in ourselves and we expect a good race in front of our fans. We will never give up until the end!”

Valentino Rossi

“Usually Valencia is not one of my best tracks but I have had some good podiums there and some wins. As always we have to try and do the maximum for the weekend. If I am strong enough I want to try and help Jorge as much as possible on Sunday and also to arrive on the podium.”

Yamaha Factory Racing Press Release

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Yamaha Factory Racing Preview MotoGP Motegi

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Yamaha Factory Racing has arrived in Japan for the final overseas race of the 2013 MotoGP World Championship at the Twin Ring Motegi Circuit. 

Riders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi both spent today engaged in special but different activities. 

Defending world champion Lorenzo joined the Spanish MotoGP riders in attending the Spanish Embassy in Tokyo. The riders gathered to celebrate the fourth centenary of the Keicho Embassy, the first Japanese diplomatic mission to Spain. Hasekura Tsunenaga crossed the Pacific Ocean in 1613, becoming the first Japanese ambassador in Europe and marking the beginning of 400 years of Spanish-Japanese relations. 

Rossi took the opportunity of being in Yamaha’s home country to spend this afternoon reunited with an old friend at Yamaha’s headquarters in Iwata. He took part in a live talk show with Masao Furusawa in front of 400 guests at Communications Plaza, Yamaha’s corporate museum. 

The riders will now move to Motegi to prepare for the final of the overseas triple-header at Twin Ring Motegi this weekend. After the dramatic results of last weekend’s Phillip Island race left Lorenzo trailing the championship lead by 18 points, the defending champion will be going all out for victory this Sunday. 

The 4.8km circuit has been home to the Japanese Grand Prix since the year 2000 and always produces dramatic racing. The six left and eight right corners feature some of the hardest braking zones of the calendar, requiring excellent bike set up. 

One of the stars of the final round of the 2012 MotoGP Championship, Yamaha development rider Katsuyuki Nakasuga will be making a wildcard appearance at the Japanese Grand Prix on a YZR-M1 as part of Yamaha's development squad. Nakasuga made history by finishing second in the Valencia Grand Prix last year. He is a three-time All-Japan Road Race Champion, winning in 2008,2009 and 2012 and is currently sitting in third position in the national championship.

Jorge Lorenzo

“It was a breath of fresh air to achieve such a great victory in Australia, but with two races still remaining it is difficult to say what’s going on. Now we concentrate on Japan, the last race of this exciting and hard triple of grand prix. We have cut a bit off the distance to our main rival so I cannot wait for the next race at Motegi. I always look forward to riding at the Twin Ring. Japan is a lovely country where I feel pretty comfortable and I can feel a huge support from the fans. Motegi is also a special track for me. I won there in 2009, just my second victory in the MotoGP category. I have a lot of good memories from this circuit and I hope we can be more competitive than in the recent years. Motegi is a different track in terms of riding. It is one of the few circuits denominated a ‘stop and go’ track so it is important to have a good braking and also a great acceleration. In this subject we improved a lot compared to last year and even more with the new seamless gearbox so hopefully we will be stronger than in 2012. We have nothing to lose so we can risk a bit more than last year.”

Valentino Rossi

“Motegi is a place I like a lot, it is a very good track. We will see our potential on Friday morning and of course we will give 100% to do a good performance. I was also very happy to come back to Yamaha's headquarters in Iwata and to see many "old" friends. The support is always fantastic so it is a real pleasure to be here again.”

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Lorenzo On Top Down Under

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Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo has made a flying start to this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, completing the first day of free practice as the fastest rider. The defending champion came out fighting in the first morning practice and led the session apart from a brief appearance by rival Marc Marquez at the top of the time sheets mid way through. 

A new tarmac surface at the track has vastly improved grip, allowing Lorenzo to drop almost a second under the race record in the morning. The afternoon saw him pick up the pace even further, the only rider to drop 

Teammate Valentino Rossi also enjoyed a positive start to the weekend today. The Italian nine time champion made a big step forward between the morning and afternoon sessions, shaving nearly half a second off his time and moving half a second closer to the front. He finished the day in fifth overall, 0.576 from Lorenzo in first and just 0.059 seconds from Dani Pedrosa in fourth.

Jorge Lorenzo

“I feel that here we are much more competitive than in Malaysia. There are some problems with the wind in some corners where we cannot keep the front wheel on the ground so we need to improve that for tomorrow. In general every step we make with the bike works so little by little we have improved and been faster. The tyre feels consistent also so let’s see if we can improve the little issue with the front. The new tarmac is much better, you can push with more confidence and there are less bumps. The exit of turn six has a little bump, but apart from this corner everything is much better.”

Valentino Rossi

“I’m happy about today, especially this afternoon as we were able to improve the settings of the bike a lot. I’m happy about my pace, I’m constant and also quite fast, I can stay on a 1’29 also with used tyres. We have to improve some areas, especially turn four to try to go faster and we need to exit the last corner in a better way. We also need to work for the edge of the tyre, especially on the left as it's a big stress. The track is fantastic with good weather like today. The new surface is very good so it's a great pleasure to ride the M1 here. We are all very close and we are quite fast. The track is easier to ride like this because the new tarmac has more grip and less bumps. It’s easier but we have to be faster! The lines are more or less the same.”

Yamaha Factory Racing Press Release

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Yamaha Factory Racing Preview MotoGP Phillip Island

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With no rest the Yamaha Factory Racing team and riders moved directly from Malaysia to Australia this week for the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island on Sunday. The second of the triple-header races will see Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi looking to take the fight to their rivals in the final rounds as the championship heads into its final three races.

Defending world champion Lorenzo has yet to take a premier class win at the Phillip Island circuit but does claim two 250cc victories there in 2006 and 2007 and retains good memories having sealed his 2012 world title there.

Nine-time world champion Rossi claims two 250cc wins in 1998 and 1999, a 500cc win in 2001 and an unbroken four year premier class win streak from 2002 to 2005.

The Phillip Island race circuit was constructed in 1956 and hosted the motorcycle Grand Prix until 1968. A revamp of the track saw it return in 1989. The track remains one of the favourites on the calendar for both riders and fans, delivering exciting riding on fast fluid corners against a stunning backdrop of ocean and green countryside.

Jorge Lorenzo

“I’m still a bit disappointed after Malaysia because we thought we could get a better result. The championship is very difficult now with three races remaining but at least we fought and we put all our efforts to win it. Phillip Island is a pretty track that I like a lot. Last year I achieved my second MotoGP world title there and that was a fantastic feeling. This time hopefully the weather is not so bad and we can have some fun. I would like to win as many races as possible until the end of the season at Valencia. That’s our main goal and also to fight with Dani for second place in the championship, that is if we can’t get the title; that is looking quite difficult now. I guess this circuit can suit us better than Aragon or Malaysia so I look forward to riding in a good shape in Australia.”

Valentino Rossi

"I really like the Phillip Island circuit, it is great fun to ride here. The track is very different from Sepang and I think that for us it will be better. We are improving with every race and I'm curious to see what happens in Australia. I made good races here and I won a lot. My goal is always the same: fight with Jorge, Dani and Marc. Now we will try to do the best in the next three races. We are ready to do this!”

Yamaha Factory Racing Press Release

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Lorenzo Battles for Sepang Podium

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Defending world champion Jorge Lorenzo battled hard during the early stages of today’s Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix to take third on the podium. 

Starting from fourth on the grid, the Yamaha Factory Racing rider was yet again off the start line like a bullet and the first rider through turn one in the lead. With both Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez snapping at his heels he put his head down and tried to break away. With 16 laps to go, Pedrosa made his move at the end of the back straight, taking the lead. Marquez then moved up into third and began an epic battle with Lorenzo, the two swapping positions multiple times and passing within millimetres of each other at speeds of over 190km per hour. With 11 laps to go Marquez was able to make his final pass tick on the inside of turn 14, leaving Lorenzo to hold third to the line and claim third on the podium. 

Teammate Valentino Rossi dropped initially to fourth off the line from his second place grid position, tucked in behind Marquez on the first lap. The nine-time world champion made a move on Marquez at turn 10 but was unable to pass and settled back into fourth. Rossi spent several laps holding off the advances of Alvaro Bautista, narrowly escaping an incident when the Spanish rider overshot turn one, just missing Rossi as he ran wide. The rest of the race proved to be a lonely one as he held his position in fourth, crossing the line just over ten seconds behind the leader. 

The results from the first of the overseas triple header sees Lorenzo hold second in the championship, now on 255 points, Rossi holds fourth on 198 points. 

The team now moves directly to Australia for the next round at the Phillip Island circuit next weekend.

Jorge Lorenzo

“We were much slower than the others today, especially after three or four laps. I tried to open a gap at the beginning like always but there was +0 on the board after a couple of laps. When Dani passed I tried to stay with him and also then again when Marc passed me. I tried to pass him some more times to make him nervous but it was impossible, he was much stronger today so we couldn't do much more. To win the championship is almost impossible but I would like to finish second in the championship and win as many races as possible.”

Valentino Rossi

“Today was half and half for me, for sure we improved and made another step, improving the setting of the bike and I was able to be very close to Jorge. It looks like today our competitors had an advantage here; they were able to keep a better rhythm than us. Starting from second I hoped to arrive on the podium but I knew the top three guys were very strong. At the beginning of the race I lost some time as I had a problem with the front brakes. We continue to work and push and fight to be in with the top three.”

Yamaha Factory Racing Press Release

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Valentino Rossi Scores Second in Sepang Qualifying

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Yamaha Factory Racing rider Valentino Rossi enjoyed his best qualifying heat of the season today scoring second on the grid for tomorrow’s Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix.  The 15-minute qualifying heat was one of the most complicated of the season with uncertain track conditions after a pre-session rain shower tested the rider skills to the limit. Having saved a big moment at turn six on his first lap, Rossi put his head down and set a 2’03.499 to take provisional pole position. A flurry of activity at the top followed and the nine-time champion came in to change to a fresh rear tyre in third position. As the last minutes counted down Rossi became a key protagonist in the battle for pole, delivering a scorching 2’00.336 lap to take provisional pole, a position he held for a few seconds before a final hot lap from rival Marc Marquez moved him to second, 0.325 seconds from pole.

Defending world champion Jorge Lorenzo shared a similar experience to his teammate Rossi, having a big moment at turn six on his first lap. Like Rossi he was also able to save it and then returned to the pits to watch the session unfold and decide on a strategy. As the lap times began to tumble he came back out with six minutes remaining and immediately took provisional pole with a 2’00.792 second lap. He kept the pressure on, immediately dropping further with 2’00,578. A lack of trust in the treacherous track conditions held him back from attempting a perfect lap, his time good enough to take fourth on the grid on the second row, 0.567 seconds from pole.

Valentino Rossi

“I’m very happy about today, from this morning we really improved the bike. We worked hard with the team this weekend and I like the set up a lot, I can really push and have a good pace. Just before qualifying it started to rain and everything became more difficult. I expected it to be full dry but two or three corners were not, I had a big moment on the first lap and I was very happy to not crash, I have to say thank you to my Yamaha! After that I tried to push and I made a very good lap time, especially considering the conditions. Now we wait for tomorrow and I hope it will be dry because I think in the dry we are very competitive.”

Jorge Lorenzo

“Today we improved the bike a lot and I feel much more comfortable than yesterday. I did a long run in free practice which went quite well. Then before qualifying we changed the bike a little and we were able to improve it further. The problem was in some corners, especially in turn six and turn seven as it was wet. On my second lap I almost crashed there so I didn't trust the corners to be able to make a perfect lap.”

Yamaha Factory Racing Press Release

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Rossi and Lorenzo Fourth and Fifth on Day 1 Sepang

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The first of the three overseas triple-header weekend’s kicked off today in Sepang with the first two free practice sessions for the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix. Nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi made solid improvements over the two practice sessions to wrap up the day in fourth in the combined times. The Italian made a 0.5 second improvement over the two sessions and finished 0.115 seconds behind Cal Crutchlow in third. 

Defending world champion Jorge Lorenzo had a tougher first day in Sepang. The Mallorcan struggled to find an optimum set up for the Malaysian circuit with mid-corner grip issues affecting his final times. He completed the first day in fifth overall, 0.085 seconds behind his teammate Rossi.

Valentino Rossi

4th / 2'01.538 / 18 laps

“For me personally, especially this afternoon, it was a good practice because we improved the setting of the bike a lot. We improved with the new tyre and with the old tyre I can stay with a good pace so I feel better on the bike. For sure we have to improve, but this afternoon I feel good. It seems our competitors are a little faster than us but I will try 100% because in the last races Jorge is always there fighting at the front. It will be hard but we have to concentrate on the bike. We are not very far but we have a small gap to recover.”

Jorge Lorenzo

5th / 2'01.623 / 14 laps

“We are investigating what happened today because I didn't have confidence in the middle of the corners and also with acceleration. I had a lot of spinning and the bike is very aggressive so we have to see what we can change for tomorrow to try to get back a good feeling with the bike again.”

Yamaha Factory Racing Press Release

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