I'm torn in between now. Well, I'll go along with any sponsor as long as Vale have a sponsor.

Ducati new company logo.



Ducati.com

Yamaha Factory Racing Team Press Release

Gerno di Lesmo, Italy
Tuesday, 4th November 2008



Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd and Fiat Automobiles Spa have concluded an agreement to continue their partnership for a further two years.

The agreement will see Fiat continue as the title sponsor of Yamaha’s Factory MotoGP Team, which will continue to be known as the Fiat Yamaha Team, for 2009 and 2010.

Fiat joined Yamaha at the start of 2007 and their partnership has been a successful one with 14 grand prix wins to date, culminating in the capture of the 2008 Rider, Team and Manufacturer titles. 2009 will see the same team with Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo contesting the championship for the Fiat Yamaha Team.

“I heartily welcome the extension of the agreement with Fiat as title sponsor of our MotoGP Factory Team for another two years” said Masao Furusawa, Executive Officer Engineering Operations of Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. “We will be working to continue the great partnership that resulted in the Fiat Yamaha Team winning the triple crown in 2008”.

Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing Srl, commented, “We are delighted to be continuing our partnership with Fiat for a further two years. It remains a very interesting mix for an Italian car manufacturer to be partner of a Japanese motorcycle manufacturer in the world’s premier motorcycle racing series.

"After a tough first season in 2007 we were really happy to win the triple crown titles this year for Yamaha and for Fiat.

"Fiat’s decision to continue for a further two years is a sign of confidence in our activities and a strong confirmation of the value of being involved in the MotoGP championship. Our target for the future is clear: we want to continue with our winning ways and provide even more excitement for the fans of the Fiat Yamaha Team”.

Thanks Lavinia. so the blue and white will stay with Vale and Yamaha

glad to hear!

the new ducati logo kinda suck. reminds me of coca cola.

Alex de Angelis 14th in the championship (63 points). The fourth MotoGP rookie in the 2008 field, de Angelis showed flashes of brilliance, highlighted by his charge from last to fourth at Mugello. Took a further fourth place finish at the wet German GP but also suffered a series of race accidents which hurt his final championship ranking.

Andrea Dovizioso Fifth in the championship (174 points). Dovizioso finished his rookie MotoGP season just 16 points behind Lorenzo and was the leading satellite rider. Scored points in all but one round for JiR Team Scot Honda and took a debut podium with third place at Sepang. Best qualifying position of fourth.

Colin Edwards Seventh in the championship (144 points). Began the season rejuvenated by the switch to the satellite Tech 3 Yamaha team, taking pole at round four (China) and then delighting Herve Poncharal's' team further by claiming a podium at their home French GP (round five). Took a further podium at round nine (Assen) and qualified on the front row a total of five times, all during the first ten rounds. Had a tougher second half of the season with a best race finish of sixth.

Toni Elias Twelfth in championship (92 points). Elias was the only rider other than Stoner to take the Desmosedici GP8 to a podium finish (twice) while riding for the satellite Alice Team. Those rostrums made Elias the first ever satellite Ducati MotoGP rider to score more than one podium in a single season, although his next best race result was just seventh. Best qualifying position was fifth.

Nicky Hayden Sixth in the championship (155 points). For the second season, Hayden often looked uncomfortable with the 800cc Honda and made an early change to race-develop the pneumatic-valve engine from round eight at Donington Park. Came within one corner of a podium next time out at Assen before finally claiming the pneumatic's first ever rostrum at Indianapolis, round 14. Took a further podium at Phillip Island and qualified on the front row five times during his final season for Honda.


Jorge Lorenzo Fourth in the championship (190 points) and rookie of the year for Fiat Yamaha. Lorenzo made a stunning impact with three poles and three podiums from his first three MotoGP races, including victory at Estoril. However, a massive highside during practice for the following Chinese GP left Lorenzo was fractured ankles and, despite finishing runner-up at round five in France, marked the start of a run of a confidence-sapping run of accidents and injuries that included his withdraw from Catalunya and another huge highside on lap one of the US GP. Once his injuries had finally healed, Lorenzo rebuilt his form with five front rows and two podiums during the last six rounds and finished the year as the highest placed rookie since Valentino Rossi in 2000 (and top Michelin rider).


Dani Pedrosa Third in the championship (249 points). Pedrosa remains the only Honda rider to have won an 800cc grand prix and a superb start to the 2008 season saw the Spaniard take eight podiums from the first nine rounds - including two wins. Pedrosa was leading the world championship standings when he crashed out of the lead of a wet German Grand Prix. Caused controversy by swapping from Michelin to Bridgestone tyres for the final five rounds, when he also changed to the pneumatic-valve Honda, but proved his adaptability by taking three podiums and one pole on the Japanese rubber.


Valentino Rossi World champion (373 points). Bounced back from two successive title defeats in spectacular style, winning nine out of 18 races and clinching his sixth MotoGP title at round 15 in Japan. Finished on the podium a staggering 16 times and scored points in every race. Rossi has now won more premier-class races than any other rider in history and his superb season helped Yamaha to claim a perfect sweep of Riders', Manufacturers' and Teams' World Championships. 2008 was Rossi's first season with Bridgestone tyres.


Casey Stoner Second in championship (280 points). The 2007 world champion won the first and last races of the season, plus four other victories to finish 2008 as the title runner-up. Lost out to Rossi in a thrilling US GP battle then crashed out of the lead at both Brno and Misano. Nevertheless, Stoner remains the only rider to truly tame the 800cc Desmosedici and his efforts carried Ducati to second place in the constructors' championship, despite the effects of a late season wrist injury.

James Toseland Eleventh in the championship (105 points). The only grand prix (as opposed to MotoGP) rookie in the field blasted into MotoGP by qualifying a (valve-spring) Tech 3 Yamaha second on the grid during his MotoGP debut at Qatar. Finished the race in sixth, a position he repeated five further times. Race highlight was thrilling ride at the Australian Grand Prix, when he became one of the few riders to fight back and re-pass Valentino Rossi this season. Low point was turn one accident at home British GP.

Great to seee Fiat staying with Yamaha. Great colours and they will be the longest main Factory sponsor that Vale has had with Yamaha

MotoGP » MotoGP electronics insight.Thursday, 6th November 2008 Insight into MotoGP electronics at Kawasaki, Yamaha and Suzuki. Electronics Industry news site, EETimes.com, has run an article on the use of electronics in MotoGP, featuring information gathered from interviews with technical personnel from three different MotoGP teams during July's US Grand Prix at Laguna Seca. Those interviewed were EFI technician Andrea Dosoli (Kawasaki), data engineer Andrew Griffith (Yamaha) and crew chief Tom O'Kane (Suzuki). Unfortunately, there was no information for Honda and Ducati.Here is a brief summary of the findings:Kawasaki:Kawasaki was using a 'half-and-half' fly-by-wire system - traditional throttle cables control half of the throttle bodies with electronic systems operating the other half. This was done to help rider feel.Kawasaki was not yet using GPS to provide real-time location-based engine management (it is rumoured that Ducati, for example, already does) however the introduction of such a system was "fairly imminent". Location-based engine management allows the electronics to be tuned to suit each individual corner on a track.There are about 50 sensors on the ZX-RR but the most important ones are those that measure acceleration, lean angle, front wheel speed, GPS speed and front-wheel suspension stroke.The electronics identify a loss of rear wheel grip (potential highside) by comparing "front- and rear-wheel speeds with GPS-speed and engine rev-up".Yamaha:Yamaha was using a full fly-by-wire system. Throttle cables were still present, but existed only "to provide the rider [with] a conventional [throttle] feel" rather than to directly control the engine.Yamaha used GPS for on-board data-tagging, but was also not yet using GPS to provide real-time location-based engine management, due to "the tenuous nature of GPS". However, Griffith admitted (with a smile) that the development of a position-based, real-time control system was "one possible direction" for the team. Suzuki:Suzuki, like Kawasaki, also uses a 'half-and-half' fly-by-wire system "to retain a conventional throttle feel and give the rider a strong sense of connection to the machine".When discussing real-time location-based engine management, and the problem of accurately locating the motorcycle on the race track, O'Kane stated that "transponders around the track could be combined with time-distance interpolation to figure out bike location".The ECU aims to "counters fluctuations of the engine power curve to deliver linear and predictable response for maximum pilot confidence" but must also allow riders to get the limited amount of rear wheel sliding they need.CRASH.NET......

Sorry...it's not clear...can someone please re-post it....but it's interestin....

Kawasaki was using a 'half-and-half' fly-by-wire system - traditional throttle cables control half of the throttle bodies with electronic systems operating the other half. This was done to help rider feel.Kawasaki was not yet using GPS to provide real-time location-based engine management (it is rumoured that Ducati, for example, already does)Especially this one....

yes hehehhe i am happy they are... they make good team

nice to hear fiat and yam stick together.. good colour for vale in blue and white.. maybe new livery then?