MOTOGP:Fiat Yamaha Team ready for first race together

[Plex]

Two days prior to the start of the FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix (MotoGP) in Doha, Qatar, the Yamaha factory team unveiled their 2007 colours and sponsor for the new season.

Their new YZR-M1 800cc bike has been seen at the Winter tests prior to the season opener on the Losail International Circuit for the Sunday, March 10th Qatari GP race. In Milan, Italy today, the team held their official launch with their two riders: Valentino Rossi and Carl Edwards.

It was confirmed that Fiat Automobiles S.p.A signed a two-year agreement as the title sponsor for the Yamaha team which will now list the team's "official" name as the Fiat Yamaha Team.

"We're very excited about our new two-year partnership with Fiat," said Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing. "Fiat, like Yamaha, is a truly global brand and we feel that there is a great match between our two companies. It's good for our sport to welcome a new sponsor of Fiat's calibre and we feel sure that they will enjoy their involvement with our team. We look forward to working with them over the coming two seasons and hopefully sharing many victories together."

Victories and championships is one word Yamaha knows as Rossi has notched many wins and two titles for the team since he came on board with the marquee in 2004. The five-time MotoGP champion looks forward to the new season, especially after winning the grand prize in the pre-season "Qualifying Shootout" held in Jerez, Spain.

The 28-year-old Italian rider has made history and put records in the books since his first time in FIM competition. Between 1997 to 2001, he landed all three FIM road racing titles: 500cc, 250cc and 500cc -- the second rider in history to take the three championships -- the son of Graziano Rossi was following in his dad's footsteps before moving up to in 2002 to MotoGP. In all, he has seven championships.

With a record of 84 career race wins (58 in MotoGP), 127 podium finishes and 45 poles, Rossi is the rider to beat. Last year, American rider Nicky Hayden did topple the Italian when he scored his first MotoGP championship.

"After the great test in Jerez we're going to the first race feeling confident and happy," commented Rossi. "Jerez proved that we're in a very different situation to last year and confirmed the great job we've done with the new M1 over the winter. Now it's finally time for the first race and it's time to see if all our hard work pays off. Everyone is very excited and very motivated after what happened last year and our aim is very simple - to win!"

His American teammate Colin Edwards still searches for the elusive first win, he has six podium finishes since his first competition in the Continental Circus in 2003. He joined the Yamaha factory team for the 2005 season and is favored by Rossi as a teammate. Edwards notched the World Superbike Championship title in 2000 and '02.

With the new bike and the season opener being at a track that he really enjoys, Edwards hopes to start the season on a high note: "Qatar is a great track, I love it and I always feel that it's a level playing field because we've only been there a few times as opposed to some of the European circuits where other riders have basically grown up. I'm feeling really confident going back there for the first race."

The new colours will be softer on the eyes, especially after the special neon yellow with blue they used for the final pre-season test. The Italian marquee owned by Ferrari and the Japanese manufacturer chose the livery to be mainly white and blue and the words Fiat" in red trim.

Fiat Yamaha Team Director Davide Brivio added "It's nice to be able to finally unveil our new livery and our new sponsorship with Fiat. It's a new start for us - a new bike, a new sponsor and a new challenge as we try to win back the title! It's been a long pre-season for us but we're finally ready for the first race this week; let's hope we can mark our first outing in Fiat Yamaha Team colours in victorious style!"

The team's will take to the track for practice on Thursday, March 8 in Qatar.

Motorsport

[solo]

Valentino Rossi on this 800cc monster? lawd......
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Ghetto Breed.