Following on from their first and third finishes in Sunday’s Grand Prix of Spain, Fiat Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards got back to work straight away with a two-day test yesterday and today. The scene of their victorious celebrations under sunny skies on Sunday was a very different place on Monday as heavy rain fell throughout the day at the Spanish circuit. This was just what the team wanted however, as it gave them the chance to do some serious wet-weather testing with the new 800cc M1, something they have not had the opportunity for so far this year. Rossi completed 41 laps in the rain with a best lap of 1′51.899, whilst Edwards put in 36 laps with a best lap of 1′53.104.

With all the necessary wet-weather work completed on Monday, the team were forced to wait until this afternoon, when the track was fully dry, to get started with their programme of tyre testing. Both riders tested a range of new tyres with Michelin and the information gathered is sure to prove invaluable when they head to Istanbul next month, the first circuit at which they will not have tested since the new tyre regulations came into play. Rossi also tried out some small engine modifications in order to give the Yamaha engineers more information for their engine development ahead of the next run of races. Edwards was the fastest rider not to run a qualifying tyre today, finishing the test in fifth place with a time of 1′41.755 after 46 laps. Rossi was ninth fastest with a time of 1′42.348 from 42 laps.

There is now a three-week break until the third round of the 2007 MotoGP Championship, which will take place at the Istanbul Park circuit in Turkey on 22nd April.

Davide Brivio – Team Director
Yesterday we had the chance to test in really wet conditions, which was extremely important for us. It gave us the chance to really understand the performance of the M1 in the wet and to give us a lot of information about tyres and settings in these conditions. We’re now more prepared in case we have rain at any of the next races, which is quite possible! Today we had to wait until the afternoon for it to be properly dry, as it was still raining this morning. Anyway we had enough time to get some good work done, mostly tyre testing but Valentino also tried some new engine modifications and we found some small improvements in the engine performance. Now our engineers will work in Japan with the information gathered today, and we will decide whether or not we will use these new modifications at the next race in Istanbul. We also did a lot of tyre testing with Michelin and gathered a lot of important information for the next few races. It’s always hard to get back to testing after a great day like we had on Sunday but everyone has worked very hard – now they all deserve a nice long break before Istanbul!”

Valentino Rossi returned to the top step of the podium today after leading for all 27-laps of the Grand Prix of Spain, taking his first victory since Sepang last year and his 46th win of the four-stroke MotoGP era. Rossi’s 26th win for Yamaha also makes him the most successful rider at Jerez in the premier class, with five wins at the Spanish track. He was joined for the podium celebrations by his team-mate Colin Edwards, who rode a strong race from fourth on the grid to stay in contention behind Dani Pedrosa, eventually finishing third and taking his seventh MotoGP podium in front of a record crowd of 138,000.

Both Yamahas got a good start off the line, Edwards riding around the outside of Carlos Checa to take third at turn two and Rossi passing pole-sitter Pedrosa to take the lead shortly after. By the fourth lap the leading trio had begun to pull away from Nicky Hayden and John Hopkins and Rossi had started to stretch his lead on Pedrosa, setting the fastest lap of the race on lap five. Despite a strong showing from the Spaniard in front of his home crowd, Rossi’s lead never looked in jeopardy and he eventually crossed the line 1.246 seconds in front. Edwards meanwhile never stopped pushing in third place, spurred on by the looming Honda of Toni Elias in the latter stages. Tyre worries for the pair proved unfounded as their Michelins worked well to the flag and Rossi and Edwards now take first and fourth in the Championship after two rounds of the eighteen-race season.

Makoto Tamada
Position: 14th Time: +36.653
“Although it wasn’t perfect I am happy with the result as I was held up by another rider during the early laps. He was faster in some spots and I was faster in others which caused me to lose a little bit of time but when I got past him I could get away quickly and come back to where Sylvain was so we fought out the rest of the race together which was very good. I was very happy with the bike setting as we used a new front tyre that I hadn’t used before. I had a very good feeling with it although the rear spun a little but even at this early stage of the season I know that this will improve as well. Saying that, it was very consistent during the entire race. We have a gap of just three tenths of a second each lap compared to the mid pack so it was only a small gap in comparison to the last race. Being three seconds faster than my race time last year made me happy as well. The fight with the field this year is a lot more than last year and I know my team are happy with me because I kept fighting until the end. This will help everyone because it is important to fight until the very end so we can give the information to Dunlop so they can continue to improve.”

Sylvain Guintoli
Position: 15th Time: +36.744
“We had had a pretty good weekend and to score another point scoring place is very encouraging. In reality, we have done a much better job here because we are only 36 seconds from the win and six seconds quicker than the time Checa did last year considering the race was four seconds quicker as well. For me it is a big improvement because Jerez is a place I have never done very well at as I’ve had many troubles here in the past. The entire weekend was a big improvement tyre-wise and I am getting more used to the bike as well. I had a bad first lap but then I caught the group in front of me that were fighting for 10th but I just couldn’t manage to stay with them. I had a good fight towards the end with my teammate Makoto which was a lot of fun. I had a very good front tyre which gave me the confidence to push hard throughout the race. The rear was excellent for the early laps which allowed me to catch the group in front and do low 42’s. Then like everyone else the grip level dropped off slightly but I could still maintain a rhythm in the high 42’s. I am confident of continuing the improvement at the next Grand Prix in Turkey.”

Herve Poncharal – Dunlop Yamaha Tech 3 Team Manager
“I’m very happy today as I think both our riders had a very good and consistent race. Sylvain had a great start and pushed really hard but Makoto was a bit more cautious. By mid race they were both together and had a very good battle between them so that was great to see. With both riders in the points it’s a very good result for us as there was only one crash during the race – that says a lot for the progress we are making. Also more importantly the group in front of us with Capirossi, Barros and De Puniet was very, very close and with just 0.3 second a lap quicker we would’ve been with them so that’s very encouraging – and don’t forget Capirossi won here last year. We have made a big step forward especially compared to the previous race, so we are happy. We know the points aren’t easy to come by this year considering how close the lap times are, so with both our guys in the points this is a good result and a good boost to our confidence. I am also happy with the lap times throughout the race because they are very consistent doing mid to high 1’42’s which is very close to the pack, so I think if we can achieve a better grid position and have a bit more speed in the first five or six laps we will have better results. We are staying here to test for the next couple of days. Unfortunately the weather forecast is for rain, but Dunlop have a big wet test program for us anyway.”

Valentino Rossi will start from second position for tomorrow’s Grand Prix of Spain in Jerez after an exciting and extremely close qualifying battle today, while his team-mate Colin Edwards will be just behind him in fourth having lost out on third position in the dying moments of the session. It is Rossi’s eighth consecutive top-three start for Yamaha, the Italian having started from the front row in the final six races of 2006 and at this season’s opener in Qatar.

After struggling for grip once again this morning and finishing free practice way down the order in 18th position, it was clear from the start this afternoon that warmer temperatures and the latest changes made to the setting of his M1 had improved Rossi’s package and he quickly posted his fastest time of the weekend so far. Edwards and his crew had made drastic changes to his bike setting overnight and he too showed a marked improvement to his race pace both this morning and again this afternoon, as he and Rossi used the improved track conditions in their quest to find the right tyre package ahead of tomorrow’s 27-lap race. With eight minutes to go Rossi moved into pole position with the first of his two Michelin qualifying tyres, only to be ousted by his team-mate less than a minute later as the Texan set his first flying lap. The last five minutes saw the usual flurry of quick laps and position-changing amongst the leading protagonists before Rossi took the top slot once again with a lap of 1′39.453, before being pushed into second by Spaniard Dani Pedrosa (Honda), who set the eventual pole time of 1′39.402. Edwards’ final lap seemed sure to give him a front-row slot alongside his team-mate but he fell victim to another local favourite as Carlos Checa (Honda) claimed third in the last seconds of the session.

Davide Brivio – Team Director
“Well things are much better when it’s warmer! This afternoon we could really work properly and get some proper testing done. In fact Colin was much better this morning and again this afternoon, he seems happy with his tyre choice now so I think he can do a good race tomorrow. Valentino had some troubles this morning but we found a good solution and this afternoon the situation was more normal. It was a shame Checa pushed Colin off the front row and we missed having them both there, like in Qatar, but anyway second and fourth is not so bad and I think they both have the pace to fight at the front now. We’re in a good position for the race.”

The first European race of the season got off to a slightly shaky start for Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards today, with the Fiat Yamaha Team riders struggling for rear grip at the Andalucian circuit of Jerez. The Italian and the American finished the day in sixth and ninth respectively and the weekend promises to be a close battle, with the top 12 riders all within half a second of each other after two free practice sessions.

Despite clear skies and sunshine, this morning’s first practice was run in cold temperatures and, with the track temperature reaching a maximum of only 15 degrees, the conditions did not provide the riders with much chance to really get to grips with bike and tyre set-up. This afternoon was considerably warmer and both Rossi and Edwards improved their times and their general race-pace, but neither rider was able to find the perfect tyre combination with the current setting on their M1 and will hope to make considerable improvements tomorrow. The best time of the day was recorded by Honda rider and Spanish favourite Carlos Checa, who set a best lap of 1′40.851.

Davide Brivio – Team Director
“Compared to the test we have a lot less grip so now we have to work at 100% to find a way to make the bike work with the tyres we’ve got. The team and riders are working hard together to find the right combination between the elements and tomorrow we will keep going. Obviously the situation isn’t perfect and we need to come up with some good ideas as at the moment we’re not in the best race-shape, but we’re confident we can make some big improvements tomorrow. This morning was very cold and it was difficult to work properly like that so really we only had the afternoon. Let’s hope it’s warmer tomorrow!”

The second round of the MotoGP World Championship welcomes the Fiat Yamaha Team to Europe next weekend with Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards looking to continue their strong start to the season at Jerez. After starring in an intriguing curtain-raiser to the season in Qatar, where the pair dominated in practice only to see Casey Stoner (Ducati) storm to his debut victory in the race, the Italian and the American will be looking to use data from positive tests at the Spanish circuit just over three weeks ago to propel them to victory next Sunday.

Second place for Rossi in the desert dust of Doha leaves him lying second in the championship, five points behind the Australian youngster, whilst Edwards holds sixth place after suffering grip problems on the unpredictable Losail surface in the race. Both riders lapped well at Jerez in the final Official Test of the pre-season, when Rossi took the top spot in a televised ‘qualifying’ session – smashing the pole record with a best lap of 1’38.394.

Rossi’s record at Jerez in competitive action is unmatched, the 28-year-old having won there on six occasions riding five different types of motorcycle since his first appearance in the 125cc class in 1996. Edwards, meanwhile, had never ridden at the Spanish venue previous to his debut MotoGP appearance in 2003 and the Texan has enjoyed limited success at the circuit since then, his best finish coming with seventh spot in a wet race three seasons ago.

Jerez could barely provide a starker contrast to the scenes at Losail, with the rolling green Andalusian hills providing the ideal setting for a natural amphitheatre that has become known as the Spanish Mecca of motorcycle racing, with upwards of 120,000 fans making the annual pilgrimage. The track itself challenges the riders to pick the most effective racing line, with few hard braking points and little opportunity to fully open the throttle. The 4.423km layout features regular and quick changes in direction, meaning that the rider requires a responsive overall set-up and good grip at maximum lean angles.

Fiat Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi finished second in the inaugural Grand Prix of the 800cc era today after losing out in a close battle with Casey Stoner (Ducati), who took his first MotoGP win. After starting from pole position for the 46th time in his career, Rossi got a good start but surrendered his lead to the eventual winner as they crossed the line at the end of the first lap with Dani Pedrosa (Honda) and John Hopkins (Suzuki) in close contention. From then on seven-time World Champion Rossi stalked the Australian youngster with both showing their strength in different parts of the track; Rossi’s Yamaha was generally faster in the corners whilst the Ducati claimed the advantage on the straights. With four laps to go Rossi made his move and passed but Stoner passed him back over the line and Rossi was unable to stay with him in the final few laps. Stoner eventually took the chequered flag 2.8 seconds clear of Rossi with Pedrosa just holding on for third ahead of Hopkins.

After being consistently fast throughout the practice sessions and also starting from the front row in third, today was not to be Colin Edwards’ day and a small slide off the start line saw him lose his grid position into turn one before dropping to seventh by the end of the first lap. The Texan had a few problems during the race and was unable to make it back up to the front group, settling into a best position of fifth before Marco Melandri (Honda) eventually relegated him to sixth with three laps to go.

Valentino Rossi
Position: 2nd
Time: +2.838
“It was a great race today and a good battle, although of course we would have preferred to start the season with a win! After the practice this morning we were a little bit scared because we had some problems with the tyre, but we understood what to do and I definitely made the right tyre choice with Michelin, so I am happy for that. I got a great start and my M1 worked very well, I could ride it how I wanted on the limit and keep pushing. I wanted to push Casey and try to take the fight to him more, but in fact he was perfect today. He didn’t make a single mistake as far as I could see and he rode very well; he deserved to win so congratulations to him. I could see that he was faster on the straight and so I knew that if I got in front I was going to need to make a gap from him, but in fact he was too strong! In the last few laps we were getting faster and faster and I thought I still had a chance, but then he kept on going and my tyre started to slide a little bit so I wasn’t able to stay with him to the finish. Anyway, we only waved the white flag right at the end so I am happy about this! Of course it’s not perfect but my team have worked very hard and it’s much better to have 20 points like this than two like last year! Now we need to find a little bit more horsepower, but Yamaha is working very hard and I am confident that we will continue to improve.”

Colin Edwards
Position: 6th
Time: +18.647
“I spun off the line on the dirty part of the track and so my start wasn’t great, which was annoying. I had a bit of a feeling just before we went out that we would be slower in the first few laps as the tyre was going to take time to heat up and unfortunately that was the case; I just couldn’t push hard enough in those vital first few laps. Anyway after that I was holding pace okay and thought I could stay with the top group but then I had a near crash on lap seven or eight coming into turn seven, to the extent when I was holding the bike up on my knee and elbow! I somehow figured out how to get it back up after 30 metres but we lost quite a bit of time. From then on my rhythm was okay and honestly the race as a whole wasn’t so bad, but the tyre felt a bit greasy and I was lacking some front grip, which was strange after it had been perfect all weekend. We definitely need more power – that was obvious today, so that’s priority number one for Yamaha I guess! Anyway, we’ve learnt a lot this weekend so let’s go forward from here.”

Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards carried on from where they left off yesterday on day two of the seasonopening Grand Prix of Qatar, topping the time sheets again in this morning’s free practice before taking first and third in a gripping Qualifying session this afternoon. Rossi will start from pole for the 46th time in his Grand Prix career with his team mate two places away from him, the pair separated only by the Ducati of Casey Stoner who was just five-thousandths of a second slower than the Italian.

With the new tyre restrictions meaning the Yamaha duo had only two qualifying tyres to work with in the session, the first forty minutes were focused on perfecting the set-ups of their 800cc M1s and both continued to show a consistently strong pace on race tyres. Already holding the top spot after a string of fast laps inside the last twenty minutes, Edwards’ first qualifying tyre saw him consolidate first place with ten minutes to go, his team-mate moving into second place behind him a few minutes later. The last five minutes saw a flurry of activity with Rossi, Edwards, Stoner, Toni Elias and Dani Pedrosa (both Honda) all putting in quick flying laps in a tense finale. All five riders lapped under last year’s pole time but it was Rossi who took the honours with a lap of 1’55.002, over half a second faster than the existing record.

Valentino Rossi
Position: 1st
Time: 1’55.002
Laps: 26 Laps
“It’s great to have my first pole of the season at the very first race and it’s extra special for me because it’s pole number 46 of my career! I hope this is a good omen for tomorrow. I’m really happy for this pole position because everyone has worked so hard; all my mechanics, engineers, Michelin…everyone involved. Yamaha has built us a great bike. Anyway tomorrow is another day and the real race, but we’re starting from first and Colin is on the front row too so I hope we can put in a good Yamaha show! We have a couple of things to check in morning practice but we’re more or less ready. I really like this track, the grip is great, it’s fast and technical and it’s possible to have a lot of fun with the new Yamaha. It’s also quite quiet here, with not too many people and this is a nice atmosphere in which to start the season as I can focus completely on racing without too many other distractions! I think tomorrow there are three or four riders who can fight at the top with Colin and me, but we’re feeling confident in our garage.”

Colin Edwards
Position: 3rd
Time: 1’55.223
Laps: 24 Laps
“Yamaha, Michelin, Valentino and I have all worked so hard and it’s really exciting to be up there together on the front row…although of course I would like to try to reverse the order tomorrow! Our bike is going so well so far this year, everywhere we go we’ve got a plan and it seems to work and the lap times are just amazing. It’s a great feeling. I love this track and the set-up we have seems to be spot-on, really we don’t have anything left to do tomorrow morning except double-check everything and make our final tyre choice. I’ve got a choice of two but honestly I’m not too worried, they both work well and I don’t think either will be the difference between winning and losing – Michelin seem to have it all under control for us! It’s going to be a matter of getting a good start and seeing how it goes. I think there’s a few that can run with us but our race pace is pretty good so I am confident I can be up there fighting!”

Davide Brivio – Team Director
“It’s a very good start for us and we’re very happy! The weekend so far has been very good for us and both riders are working in a very smooth, confident way. Tomorrow is the important test and it will be the final proof of where we are, but we feel that we’re ready to race and I hope we’ll be able to enjoy a great result together with both Colin and Valentino.”

Yamaha Factory Team riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards begin their assault on the 2007 MotoGP World Championship next weekend as the most eagerly anticipated season in recent history finally fires up in Qatar. Saturday’s race is the first of eighteen mouth-watering events across thirteen countries and four continents that will decide the destiny of the most coveted prize in motorcycle racing. For the first time since the turn of the millennium, Rossi starts out as a challenger to the throne.

After finally conceding his title to Nicky Hayden (Honda) in a dramatic last chapter to the 2006 campaign at Valencia in November, the ever-popular Italian has worked tirelessly alongside his engineers on development of Yamaha’s all-new YZR-M1, which features an 800cc capacity engine in accordance with new technical regulations. The revised rulebook also stipulates a reduced fuel capacity of 21 litres and a maximum of 31 tyres (14 front and 17 rear) per rider during a race weekend, piling extra pressure on the teams and adding even more intrigue for the fans as the season gets underway.

Rossi’s hopes of a winning start are substantiated by two victories from three previous visits to the Losail International Circuit since its inauguration in 2004. His confidence has been further boosted by an outstanding performance in the final pre-season test at Jerez, where he set the fastest lap in a televised 40-minute ‘qualifying’ session and capped an excellent winter of development work that has taken in seventeen days of hard graft at circuits in Spain, Malaysia and Qatar.

The equally diligent work of Rossi’s dependable team-mate Colin Edwards, who was close behind Rossi in third during last week’s ‘qualifying’ session, has contributed greatly to the swift evolution of the 800cc version YZR-M1 and the pair are now bursting to go racing. The ‘Texan Tornado’ is promising to whip up a storm in the desert and maintain a strong front throughout the year, as he looks to capitalise on a pre-season that has seen him side-by-side with Rossi at the top end of the time sheets at virtually every circuit they have visited.

Bike set-up at the Losail International Circuit is complicated by a host of slow corners that are preceded by fast changes of direction. The tight hairpin at turn six, for example, comes with a quick right-left change under braking, calling for a delicate balance between stability and agility. The most important section is the three fast rights at the end of the lap because this is where the rider can make up the most time, making stability at maximum lean angle an absolute must so that he has confidence to open the throttle with the bike still on its side.

Valentino Rossi – “Fast and fun”
The sight of Rossi and his new M1 in high-speed harmony during that final pre-season test at Jerez will have mesmerised his fans and demoralised his rivals, sending out a clear warning that the most successful motorcycle racer in recent history wants his title back. The 28-year-old has had just one thought in his mind since shaking hands with Nicky Hayden on the warm-down lap at Valencia and he is convinced that this season’s ambitions will not be hampered by the misfortunes that ultimately denied him tenure of the number 1 plate for a sixth straight year.

“After the great test in Jerez we’re going to the first race feeling confident and happy,” says Rossi. “Last year we had some problems at the final test that left us feeling worried going to the first race but more than anything 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!”

“I like Qatar a lot, it’s fast and fun to ride and I have won there twice. Of course it’s quite hot and dusty so tyre choice will be very important, especially with the new rules. The other key factor is going to be the fuel consumption – I think it is something everybody is worried about this season but we are all in the same boat. We know the bike should work well at the first two races but the championship is very long. Dani Pedrosa has looked the most consistent in testing but I think Nicky Hayden, Loris Capirossi and my own team-mate Colin Edwards will be in the fight for the title.”

Colin Edwards – “A level playing field”
After stating earlier in the pre-season that the YZR-M1 is the best 800cc bike in the field, Colin Edwards has seen nothing to change his mind over the past two tests and the 33-year-old is now on the brink of what he hopes can be his best season since joining MotoGP in 2003. The former double World Superbike Champion has scored six podiums in that time, one of them coming at Losail in 2004, and he is confident of adding significantly to that tally this year – starting on Saturday at a circuit he feels provides a level playing field between him and more seasoned Grand Prix riders.

“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,” observes Edwards. “I’m feeling really confident going back there for the first race, especially after our last test there when I was pretty fast every day, and the progress we made at Jerez last week. The track suits my style and I felt really comfortable there during the test, so hopefully we can translate that to the race conditions.”

“We had some problems in the race last year but I am feeling completely different now because this bike is a whole new ballgame. After working really well on smooth tracks like Sepang and Qatar we managed to adopt it to the bumps at Jerez with a completely different setting so I’m really confident that we have a great package for the whole season. I’ve said throughout pre-season that the target this season is to win races, so I’m looking forward to getting started.”

Davide Brivio – “Let’s go racing!”
Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director Davide Brivio echoes the confidence of his riders after watching them lap in record pace at all three of the circuits the team have visited during their exhaustive winter testing programme. Last Sunday’s success in the competitive timed session provided an extra injection of excitement and motivation to the team’s mood, as the Italian reports, the riders are not the only members of staff who are counting down the days to the new season’s opening showdown.

“Finally we’re going racing!” smiles Brivio. “I think this season will be very interesting because it is the first time in several years that Valentino isn’t starting as the defending champion and there are many young riders who are now ready to fight for the title. We have had a good winter of testing and we feel that we have made a good job of preparing for the new season. Now we’re excited to go racing and see exactly how prepared we really are.”

“Qatar will be the first time everybody shows their cards for real and we are all very curious to see what level we are at compared to our rivals. The mood in the team is optimistic because both Colin and Valentino have been amongst the top riders all through the winter so providing everything goes OK then we can expect to be competitive. Let’s go racing!”

During a presentation in Italy today, Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd announced that it has reached a two-year agreement with Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. to become title sponsor of the Yamaha Factory Racing Team in the MotoGP World Championship.

The Team’s Official Launch took place in Milan this afternoon and the Team will be known from now on as the “Fiat Yamaha Team”.

Yamaha’s two Factory riders, Italian Valentino Rossi and American Colin Edwards were present at the event today as well as Yamaha Motor Company’s Masao Furusawa, General Manager for Engineering Operations, Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing and Davide Brivio, the Fiat Yamaha Team Director. The Yamaha line-up were joined on stage by Luca de Meo, CEO of Fiat Automobiles S.p.A.

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.”