Alex

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. The MotoGP paddock will return to Sepang on February 26th for the second official test of the year. Valentino Rossi 2nd / 1'59.727 “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 “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.” Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager “The last day of testing done and we reached our target. We really wanted to jump under the 2’00 mark this weekend so we made that. Step by step we are working in the right direction. We still have some work to do but we have six testing days to go until the first race so we can be satisfied with all the things we tried so far.” Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director “We finished the first three day test of the new season well with good data. We’ve been pretty fast throughout and the two semi-race simulations we did at 4pm gave us good information. Our main subject was fuel consumption and after this test we are able to run a race according to the new rules so this is a successful result. There is still some work to do, we need to find a better way to work with the new tyre but overall we are satisfied.” Positive Sepang test concludes for Monster Yamaha Tech3 Monster Yamaha Tech3 riders Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro made further improvements at the Sepang International circuit as the first test for the forthcoming 2014 MotoGP World Championship drew to a close. The three day test at the 5.543km circuit, 50kms south of Kuala Lumpur had perfect conditions for all three days. This allowed the Monster Yamaha Tech3 riders to ride uninterrupted, in order to prepare for the 2014 MotoGP world championship season which begins under the floodlights at the Losail circuit in Qatar, on the 23rd of March. Young British rider Bradley Smith completed the first test of the season in a positive manner, by exploring different set ups on the Yamaha YZR-M1 MotoGP bike in preparation for his second full time season in MotoGP. Smith experimented especially with full fuel loads, new Bridgestone tyres and long distance runs in today’s session with his Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team, and undertook 65 laps. He finished today with a best lap time of 2.00,896 min which puts him into 11th position but his time from yesterday ensures Smith an 8th place on the combined classification. Pol Espargaro concluded a positive, first MotoGP test of 2014 to finish inside the top ten at the Sepang International circuit. The 2013 Moto2 World Champion familiarised himself further with his new Yamaha YZR-M1, the brakes and the tyres, with Sepang being only his second test on a MotoGP bike. The young Spaniard progressed well with his new Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team and completed 65 laps. Espargaro finished the session with a best lap time of 2.00,655 min, which puts him in 8th place in today’s session, 9th in the combined times, and almost a second quicker than his initial best lap time set on the first day of testing on Tuesday. Bradley Smith 8th / 2'00.603 “We did some really good work, today we were concentrating on the new Bridgestone tyres. I tried to gain as much information and data also doing a half race simulation at the end of the day with this new tyre, just to compare it with the one from last year. Yesterday’s simulation was quite similar to today, although I believe we can still improve with this new tyre. I think I’ve done nearly 180 laps this test and we know where we need to start at Sepang 2. All in all I am pleased, even if the position on the timesheet does not seem to be ideal, it was never my main aim to set fast lap times during these three days. We are looking at the big picture, and preparing for the Championship and we will try to be ready for Qatar." Pol Espargaro 9th / 2'00.655 “I’m really pleased with how this first test went. I could improve every day by at least four tenths and it’s exactly these small steps that we need to do to be prepared for the season. My Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team helps me a lot as the feeling with them is already perfect. Nevertheless, I know that there are still numerous things to work on such as my corner speed and my braking. I think the braking is one of the toughest things when coming from Moto2 because you don’t have any electronic help, like there is in acceleration for example. Anyway, I’m truly happy because after these three days, I know exactly where I need to improve also on my personal preparation and I’m already looking forward to come back to this track in a few weeks.” Source: yamaha-racing.com

When was the first time you ‘noticed’ Cyril Despres? I first noticed Cyril when he was riding in his first Dakar Rally. When did you first think he was going to be a Dakar winner? In 2001 he came to Vesoul to train with me, I noticed that he had a good technical level and a really strong motivation. I said to myself; “This guy, will get there!” Do you think he has a similar riding style and approach to Dakar as you? He doesn’t have the same riding style to me, but like me, he has the same approach to the race. He doesn’t leave any details to chance. In addition, the physical preparations required to race have evolved a great deal since my time and he is in excellent physical condition. What do you think makes him special enough to win five titles? What makes Cyril unique is his intense motivation. His principal quality is his professionalism, and of course his excellent riding and navigational skills. When did you first think of him being on a Yamaha? I have known Cyril for a long time and it was myself who tried to create the initial liaison with Yamaha. I was very happy when I heard he had a contract confirmed with Yamaha, although it is still a real surprise to see him in blue! Have you shared any Dakar secrets with him this year to help him fight for his sixth win? Cyril is a good friend of mine so I’ve always tried to share my experience with him. Now, he’s joined Yamaha, myself and my copilot will give him some information to help navigation! Why do you think Despres and Yamaha will be such a good team? The Yamaha YZ450F motorcycle is powerful and the Yamaha team is really committed to winning the 2014 Dakar. Cyril is a big professional and so I hope that the teaming of ‘Cyril and Yamaha’ will succeed! What do you think will be the biggest challenge for Cyril in the 2014 Dakar? His challenge will be the race itself because it is harder than the other years. The Dakar is always difficult, it is not necessary to be the best, but mistakes should not be made and it is necessary to pass through all the traps to finish. What’s your impression of the 2014 Yamaha 450 Dakar bike? This race will be very interesting because the two best riders (Coma and Despres) are not any more in the same team! I had the chance to test the Yamaha YZF450, it is very powerful and the engine is reliable and powerful, so this motorcycle has all its chances, especially in the hands of Cyril.

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Lorenzo rose to the occasion, firing off the start line like a bullet in front of Yamaha’s home crowd to lead the race into the first laps. The Mallorcan was able to build a gap of nearly two seconds in the first three laps then saw it cut as championship rival Marc Marquez closed in. Marquez and Dani Pedrosa were able to get onto the heels of Lorenzo but unable to pass. The defending champion held on to the line to score his 51st Grand Prix victory, crossing the line just over three seconds clear of Marquez. Teammate Valentino Rossi made a great start to the race from the second row and tucked in behind Lorenzo in second position as the Japanese Grand prix got underway. Unfortunately a lack of braking power on turn 11 of the second lap caused him to run wide, allowing Marquez and Pedrosa past. He then got back on track but suffered the same issue the following lap, dropping down to 11th in the process. In typical Rossi fashion he then put his head down and made several passes as he fought back up the field to finish in sixth position. The stunning victory by Lorenzo brings him five points closer to Marquez. 13 points separate them now as they head to the final round in Valencia. Rossi increases his point score to 224 and remains in fourth place in the standings.

This incredible success story goes back to 1973, when British rider Chas Mortimer took the first ever 500cc victory in the class that would become the modern day MotoGP Championship. Yamaha is still only the second manufacturer to achieve this milestone. The greatest MotoGP legend of all-time, Giacomo Agostini played a key part in writing Yamaha’s story of race success, taking six 500cc wins in the 1970s to add to the score. Later on in the story it was the Americans who wrote their piece of Yamaha history with three in particular, Kenny Roberts, Eddie Lawson and Wayne Rainey racking up the victories. Roberts was the first, the pioneer of knee dragging wild riding, taking three back-to-back 500cc championships from 1978 to 1980. Eddie Lawson followed, adding 26 wins to the total and claiming three titles for Yamaha in 1984, 1986 and 1988. The last of the three, Wayne Rainey, then took up the challenge, scoring an impressive 24 race victories on his way to taking the world title in 1990, 1991 and 1992. A tragic accident in 1992 brought an end to Rainey’s racing career, and the focus returned to Europe with riders Luca Cadalora and then Max Biaggi taking up the charge. Biaggi ironically was challenging against the then rival Rossi for the eight victories he scored. It was in 2004 that Valentino Rossi arrived in the Yamaha garage, forming a love affair with the YZR-M1 that has endured to this day, creating an almost impossible to believe success that has won the hearts of fans worldwide. By 2007 Rossi had made it 150 wins for Yamaha at the historic Assen TT races, his own 28th MotoGP win. 2008 saw the arrival of another remarkable talent in the Yamaha garage. Stepping up to join Valentino on the YZR-M1 was hotheaded Mallorcan Jorge Lorenzo. The pairing proved unbeatable, adding two further world titles with Yamaha and an amazing 30 race wins to Rossi’s haul. Kouichi Tsuji YMC Motorsport Development Division, General Manager “We can be very proud and happy to witness this incredible achievement today here in Motegi. Jorge delivered a perfect performance to give us our 200th Grand Prix victory, continuing in the long tradition of success that we have enjoyed now since 1972. For Yamaha it is also very special to be able to enjoy this victory here in Japan for our home Grand Prix.” Lin Jarvis Yamaha Motor Racing, Managing Director “It’s absolutely fantastic to be able to celebrate our 200th Grand Prix victory here in Japan at our home race with such an incredible performance from Jorge Lorenzo. He totally dominated, not just the weekend, but also the race today under extreme pressure from his rivals. I’d like to say thanks to all of the riders and teams and all of the sponsors and partners and everyone involved in bringing us these memorable victories over the years. May we go on to 201 in Valencia!” Jorge Lorenzo “It's a very special day, to be the rider to get the 200 wins is a great honour. To win at Honda’s home race is even more special! It was a very difficult race today, they were very close but I never gave up and tried to be even faster, brake harder and open the gap more. Finally I was able to make a little gap. We are very proud of this victory, for the result, for the circumstances and for the championship, it couldn’t be better.” Source: yamaha-racing.com

Sam Lowes The title comes just two weeks after British rider Sam Lowes took his Yakhnich Yamaha YZF-R6 to World Supersport title glory at the penultimate round of the championship in Magny Cours. Having taken the title Lowes kept the pressure on last weekend for the final round, taking victory in Jerez with his sixth win of the season yesterday to wrap up the year in style. The two wins are just part of the Yamaha YZF-R6 story of supremacy in 2013, the World Supersport and British Supersport titles added to an impressive haul of global honours. The 2013 AMA Daytona Sportbike Championship in the USA was dominated by R6 rider Cameron Beaubier who won 12 of the 13 races, including the Daytona 200, on his Yamaha. On the other side of the world in Australia Daniel Falzon claimed his second consecutive 2013 ASBK Supersport Championship on the 9th October in Phillip Island, keeping the Yamaha on top down under. Back in Europe and the story was the same in France. Yamaha France’s Dark Dog Academy Yamaha rider Mathieu Gines completed a storming season to take title honours, an impressive 59 points clear of his closest rival Valentin Debise. Across the borders in Germany Kevin Wahr was doing the same, taking nine race wins to secure the IDM German Supersport Championship title on his R6. Source: www.yamaha-racing.com