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New Fiat Yamaha Team signing Jorge Lorenzo finished what was just his fourth test on a MotoGP bike in fine form today, rounding off testing in Malaysia in third place overall. The Spanish rookie posted his best lap from 63 on a Michelin qualifying tyre but also put in a string of consistently fast laps on race tyres, despite a fall cutting short his long run. The youngster set out for his race simulation in sweltering conditions this morning and was posting some consistently fast times when he

Another scorching day in Sepang saw the Yamaha riders putting in some fast laps on the new 2008 YZR-M1 today, on the second day of the opening test of the year. Proving that Edwards, Rossi and Lorenzo were harbouring no ill-effects from yesterday’s falls, three out of four Yamaha riders topped the time sheets. Rossi was a second faster than yesterday and over half a second under lap record pace, setting the third fastest time of the day on a race tyre as his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo was just behi

Valentino Rossi completed a mainly positive first day of testing in Malaysia today as the first of four pre-season tests began for the Fiat Yamaha Team. Rossi’s second test on Bridgestone tyres was interrupted when he crashed entering turn two on his twentieth lap of the day, but the Italian was unhurt and completed 44 laps and some important development work. It was a typically hot and humid Sepang day and the track surface caused some problems with several riders, including Rossi’s new team-

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 ver

Yamaha Motocross Team’s Josh Coppins is more determined than ever to see his FIM World Championship dreams come to fruition in 2008 after coming so desperately close last year. The 30 year old will shortly return from an active winter of training in his native New Zealand to embark on a busy pre-season spell of international races and tests before the first Grand Prix of fifteen in Holland on April 6th. “At the moment I am starting to work more on my riding and getting the hours on the bike bu

Noriyuki Haga and Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) completed a tough but successful three day test at Phillip Island in conditions which varied from relatively cool to exceptionally hot, finding real improvements while using Yamaha’s YCC-I variable intake system in full race trim. Noriyuki Haga (Position: 6th – Best time: 1’32.4) “It’s gone very well. We spent the days testing new parts, the results are good so now I am just waiting for the race. I’ve tried new suspension, new swing a

The 2008 Dakar rally has been cancelled just one day before the 30th edition of the historic competition was due to start in Lisbon, Portugal. The late move was initiated over security concerns with at least eight of the fifteen stages passing through Mauritania in western Africa. An announcement issued by the event organisers A.S.O today stated that: “Based on the current international political tension and the murder of four French tourists last 24th of December linked to a branch of Al-Qa

While a great many people across the world ate, drank and relaxed over the end of year festive period a select group of well-trained and courageous sportsmen made last minute checks and nervously counted the hours until the day they had to travel to Lisbon, Portugal on January 5th. The 30th edition of the Dakar rally sees the largest entry list yet of 540 teams using motorcycles, quads, cars and trucks traverse the longest course to-date with over 9000km to be covered across Portugal, Spain, M

2008 will be the Yamaha Spain World Supersport Team’s second season in World Supersport, being a newcomer last year and having successfully contested the Spanish Supersport Championship for the past five years. David Salom, will remain with the team and will be joined by highly experienced fellow Spaniard David de Gea. Based in Barcelona, the Yamaha Spain World Supersport Team is managed by the veteran Dani Devahive, who has taken the team to national championship success three times since 200

After having contested in the World Supersport Championship for the last two years, the Yamaha GMT94 team will move up to the World Superbike Championship in 2008. In addition to this and following on from their Bol d’Or win in 2007, Yamaha GMT94 will continue to enter the world’s two most demanding Endurance races – the Le Mans 24 Hours and the Bol d’Or 24 Hours. The Guyot Motorcycling Team was founded in 1992 by Christophe Guyot - himself a former rider and passionate sportsman - with the ai

Yamaha Red Bull De Carli’s Antonio Cairoli finally ended an unforgettable 2007 racing calendar by securing the European Supercross championship last weekend in Munich. A successful defence of his indoor crown means he adds yet another trophy to his immense collection from this season; including the FIM MX2 World Championship and the Italian national motocross title. The fifth and last round of the European SX competition was not an easy won for the 22 year old, who had previously won three eve

The 2007 FIM Off-road Awards took place in the affluent setting of Monaco and the ‘Salle de Etoiles’ last Saturday and Yamaha De Carli’s Antonio Cairoli and Yamaha Demaria’s Yves Demaria proudly accepted their silverware for MX2-GP and MX3-GP world championship success respectively. In front of more than 400 guests that included former world championship legends like Jean-Michel Bayle and Roger de Coster, winners from both the Motocross and Supermoto World and European stages were given their

Claudio de Carli is proud to announce that his MX2 World Championship team will from now on be called the ‘Yamaha Red Bull De Carli Team’, signifying the stronger collaboration between the team and the world leader in the energy drinks market. Since 2006 Red Bull has been a team partner and after two very successful seasons, in which Antonio Cairoli finished second in 2006 and celebrated his second MX2 World Championship title this year, both parties agreed to intensify their relationship. Par

It is with great pleasure that the Yamaha Tech 3 team wishes to announce the signing of two world champions to contest the 2008 MotoGP World Championship. American rider Colin Edwards, will be joined by Brit, James Toseland with both riders bringing a wealth of riding experience to the Yamaha Tech 3 Team. Texan Edwards, after four years in the elite class and winning two World Superbike Championships in 2000 and 2002, possesses an invaluable amount of development knowledge while Toseland is th

2007 MX2 world champion Antonio Cairoli has won the third round of the European Supercross Championship held at the Eicma motorcycle show in Milan, Italy. Meanwhile Yamaha US factory rider Chad Reed was crowned ‘King of Bercy’ at the world famous Paris-Bercy Supercross event in France for winning all but one of the races held from Friday to Sunday. Chad’s stalwart and 2007 AMA US Motocross champion Grant Langston raced to second overall making it a perfect weekend for Yamaha fans. After a long

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 also confirm its plan to run Valentino Rossi on Bridgestone tyres in 2008, while Jorge Lorenzo will be racing with Michelin tyres.