Analysing the significance of Valentino Rossi´s win at the Gran Premio Cinzano di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini, which extended his standings lead to 75 points with five races remaining, Yamaha Factory Racing boss Lin Jarvis was in no doubt as to the importance of the round thirteen result for the Italian. Cheered on by the majority of the crowd at a circuit which lies just a few kilometres from his hometown of Tavullia, Rossi took a highly popular victory, with Stoner unable to score points for the second round in succession as he crashed out on lap seven.
`The Doctor´ was followed across the finishing line by Jorge Lorenzo in second place as the double 250cc World Champion recaptured his early season form to register his first podium since Le Mans in May, making it a great day for the team.
Jarvis had also seen Yamaha satellite riders James Toseland and Colin Edwards finish in the top ten. He commented, `One-two for us as a team and as a manufacturer is fantastic. I mean it was a shame for Casey and for the spectators, but we will take it! It is a very, very important victory for the championship.´
When asked whether it was physical or mental well-being which had contributed most to Lorenzo´s return to form Jarvis replied, `A little bit of both. I am sure that a few races ago he was shaky but honestly in the last couple of races he has felt better about himself and he has said I feel fine mentally. I think this result is just super for him. He has been very good all weekend, and he has put it together on race day. It is great to see him back up there.´
Having overseen Rossi´s successful move onto Bridgestone tyres over the winter, but with three Yamaha riders still running Michelins, Jarvis has a unique insight on the current hot topic of tyres in MotoGP.
On the day of the announcement of Dani Pedrosa´s sensational Bridgestone switch, Jarvis stated, `As a company we maybe do not have a fixed opinion on it. There are opinions of engineers, opinions of sports management, different opinions. Personally I am quite inclined towards monobrand, for the sport, for the championship and for the equality of the competition, but it is not so simple. In principle we all believe in free competition in the championship and when things are equal the Michelin riders can be up there.´
In a development that could possibly be significant for future Yamaha street bikes, Yamaha Motor Italia riders Noriyuki Haga and Troy Corser will run full electronic suspension on their R1s, during the Donington Park round of the World Superbike Championship this weekend.
Haga and Corser will run Öhlins electronic suspension units, with electronic damping control. These units have already been tested earlier at Vallelunga, where they are said to have performed very well. However, Donington Park is the first time this suspension will be used in an actual race.
‘We are expecting that we can do better with this suspension than the conventional set-up. It should assist Troy in particular, as he tested this system at Vallelunga and he was very happy with it. It should be good at some braking points at Donington, where we should really find an improvement with this type of system. We will run one bike for each rider on normal suspension and one with the new electronic system,’ says Yamaha Motor Italia team manager Massimo Meregalli.
‘Right now I am looking to Donington to get my first win for Yamaha – that's my aim this weekend. We will be using Öhlins electronic suspension and I think it will be most useful for bump absorption,’ says Corser.
Now we hope Corser and Haga do really well with the new electronic suspension, and that the team continues to use the super-trick Öhlins units for future races as well. And that’s because then this electronic suspension – or at least something that’s based on it – could possibly find its way to the road-going Yamaha R1s that we can buy. Öhlins electronic suspension on the 2010 Yamaha R1 SP?
Ulsterman Eugene Laverty (22) will replace Fabien Foret in the Yamaha World Supersport Team for the Donington and Vallelunga rounds, as the French rider continues his recuperation at home in France.Third in the 2006 British Supersport series, Laverty has more recent experience of 250cc GP machinery, but is pumped at the prospect of running in top-level 600cc racing. ”I'm really excited at the chance to ride a competitive Supersport machine”, said Laverty. ”Two years of riding underpowered bikes has led to two difficult seasons for me. For Yamaha to pick me up and offer this opportunity is fantastic, I'm over the moon! I can't wait to get to Donington and start working with the team to set up and get out on track".
Valentino Rossi has warned Dani Pedrosa not to expect Bridgestone tyres to instantly transform his fortunes as the Yamaha star expressed his surprise at the Spaniard’s shock switch.Rossi needed three months of winter testing and the early part of the season to fine-tune his factory Yamaha YZR-M1 to Bridgestone tyres, and said Pedrosa shouldn’t be banking on the Japanese rubber to be a miracle cure.
Rossi, who also orchestrated his own switch to Bridgestone after a torrid 2007 campaign with Michelin, said: “I was in exactly the same position last year but sincerely I didn’t think to try the tyre during the season.
"The potential of Bridgestone is very high but it is not like you put a Bridgestone sticker on the bike and like magic you go faster. You have to work a lot and you have a lot of pressure because at he beginning my performance was not much faster than Michelin and people were questioning my decision.
"It is a risky move for Dani, and a move like this at this time is quite strange I think.”
The MotoGP Teams Get Ready For Le Mans
The Le Mans circuit has had some modifications to the layout in readiness for the MotoGP improving safety to the revised new lap length of 4,185m while keeping it’s unique character.
Valentino Rossi on the Fiat Yamaha is hoping to continue his good fortune from his win in China earlier this month. It was the first win for the Italian so far this season and he hopes to take his next victory on the French circuit, which he feels he should have done better at last year.
Rossi said “Last year Le Mans was incredibly disappointing for us. We were hoping for a good result in the dry, but the rain came and things didn’t go as planned. This year, however, we’re going there on a high after the fantastic result in China and I’m confident we can have a good weekend. Yamaha usually go well at Le Mans and, although it’s the first time we’ve been there with Bridgestone, I’m confident we’ll be strong there. I’m nine points from the top of the championship but our rivals are very motivated too, so there’s no let-up and we must go for the maximum points again.”
The reigning champion, Casey Stoner, is hoping for a better performance at Le Mans although he has already confessed to it not being one of his favourite tracks but is eager to get on with the job in hand and decrease the 25 point difference between himself and the current leader of the 2008 championship, Dani Pedrosa.
The Ducati rider said “I haven’t had outstanding results at Le Mans in the past, but they have been good and I remember being really fast in practice last year and being confident for the race. Then on Sunday it rained but I still came away with a podium.”
“The track itself is not the most exciting. It’s more like a go-kart track, the bike has to be really efficient on the brakes but agile at the same time, and quick on the exit of corners. But at the end of the day the objective is still the same, whether you like the track or not.”
His team-mate, Marco Melandri has had success on the track in the past and said “I think I can do well there because I won in 2006 and last year I made the podium. Personally, I have always liked this track so hopefully I can get another good result.”
The Kawasaki rider, John Hopkins is hoping to be back to full fitness for the next race after injuring his leg at the Shanghai round. He caught the back of his knee on the footpeg of his Ninja after getting in a tangle with Alex de Angeles, forcing him off the track but he rejoined and continued to take fourteenth position in the race.
Hopkins said “My leg is completely black and blue with bruising but, while it looks quite nasty, it hasn’t caused me any problems. I’m confident it won’t be an issue on the bike. I’m looking forward to Le Mans because it’s a track that suits my riding style. There’s a lot of hard braking, quick changes of direction, and hard acceleration, and that’s exactly what the ZX-RR has been designed for. When you combine this with our Bridgestone tyres, which always seem to work well here, I think we’re in a strong position.”
His team-mate, Anthony West was equally disappointed with his race at Shanghai and has been working hard with his crew to solve the traction problems he has had since the start of the season.
West said “I’ve had some problems this year with the rear tyre spinning up too easily out of the turns but, after discussing the problem with my crew and Kawasaki’s technical staff, we think we’ve identified what we need to change on the bike to see an improvement in this area. If we can fix this problem, then I am confident that a top ten finish in France is a realistic goal for me.”
Chris Vermeulen who won at the French circuit last year in the pouring rain for the Rizla Suzuki team is hoping to do the same again but preferably in dryer conditions. He said “I’m looking forward to Le Mans, and not just because of the memory of my first MotoGP win. We need to get back on the bike and try to get the GSV-R as competitive as it can be.”
“It was really disappointing after Shanghai. The results we’re getting are not what we all deserve for the hard work we’re putting in, maybe we just need that bit of luck to go our way. What better place than Le Mans for that to happen?”
His team-mate Loris Capirossi said “I believe that the bike is very capable of running at the front. We need to start getting the positions that we want and everybody at Suzuki is working hard to make it happen.”
Yamaha Motor UK have just announced 2008 pricing at their Dealer Conference that was held at the NEC on Monday 21st January. A total of eight models in all have had price reductions in a bold move to create a more competitive environment for the brand, especially in the lightweight sector. Keep reading to find out the new prices. Models that have had their retail (on the road) prices reduced are: Model - New RRP - Reduction * FZ1: £6,999 - £200 * MT-01: £8,999 - £350 (new model) * XT660X: £4,799 - £100 * YBR125: £1,849 - £150 * Cygnus X: £1,999 - £200 * Jog RR: £1,699 - £200 * Aerox R: £1,999 - £200 * Aerox R(sv): £2,099 - £100 (Special versions) In addition, prices were announced on all 2008 new models. These include FZ1 ABS, WR250R, WR250X, XT660 Tenere, YBR125 Custom, YZF-R125, XP500 T-Max, VP250 X-City, Vity and Giggle. These prices are outlined in the 2008 price list below. Geoff Selvidge, Yamaha Motorcycles Divisional Manager: “We are absolutely delighted with our new retail pricing strategy, which will realign some of the Yamaha range to give our customers a greater choice, especially in the small bike and scooter sectors. With our new prices on brand new 2008 models, we are really excited that we can offer the market quality Yamaha product and an even more competitive price than ever before.”
Yamaha Motorcycle & Scooter Suggested Retail Price List 2008
All prices shown include:
On-the-Road charges which include
- Delivery to dealer
- 12 months vehicle excise duty
- Number plates, pre-delivery inspection and build
- Vehicle first registration fee
- Petrol and VAT (where applicable).
Supersport
YZF-R1 - £8,999.00
- YZF-R6R *NEW* - £7,499.00
FZ Series
FZ1 - £6,999.00
- FZ1 ABS *NEW* - £7,299.00
- FZ1 Fazer - £7,599.00
- FZ1 Fazer ABS - £7,899.00
- FZ6 S2 - £4,699.00
- FZ6 Fazer S2 - £5,299.00
- FZ6 Fazer S2 ABS - £5,599.00
Sport Touring
FJR1300A (panniers incl.) - £10,999.00
- FJR1300AS (panniers incl.) - £11,999.00
- TDM900 - £6,099.00
- TDM900 ABS - £6,599.00
Sport Roadster
- MT-01 *NEW* - £8,999.00
- MT-03 - £4,899.00
Street
- XJR1300 - £6,599.00
- XT660X - £4,799.00
- WR250X *NEW* (April) - £4,999.00
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 honor 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."
“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 tire 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
Tags: Yamaha, motoGP, Valentino Rossi
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