The Fiat Yamaha team unrevealed their one off paint job for their two M1’s for this weekend’s Laguna Seca GP and now we’ve got some close-up shots of the livery with fan photos.

If your one of those thousands of fans who sent their pic to be stickered on Valentino Rossi’s or Jorge Lorenzo’s bikes check out the gallery and see if you can find yourself.

Continue reading: Find Your Face on Rossi's and Lorenzo's M1s

For all you fans who sent in their pics to the Fiat Yamaha team last June to have your faces stickered on Valentino Rossi’s and Jorge Lorenzo’s M1’s for the Laguna Seca GP, the team has unveiled the striking new livery that they’ll be using this weekend.

The promo is to celebrate the manufacturing of the five hundred thousandth Fiat 500.

Source | fiatyamahafacebook.com

Continue reading: Fiat Yamaha Special Livery for Laguna Seca

The guys at HFL have picked up this photo of Valentino Rossi’s test ride at Misano after his injury, in which he’s actually still using crutches to get around. That’s okay though, because it’s what he does on the bike, not off it, that’s important to us. The photo sort of proves though what we’ve known all along - that any return prior to Brno was more than optimistic.

I know we’ve talked about the crisis in the MotoGP and Dorna, and the Fiat Yamaha team, but for the rider personally, I don’t get why he would want to jeopardise his rehabilitation and possibly the rest of his career by looking to return any earlier than advisable. Have a holiday, Vale - we’ll wait!

Continue reading: Valentino Rossi on crutches but still rides

Over our days of behind the scenes at the MotoGP Silverstone and Assen rounds, we had multiple opportunities to observe Jorge Lorenzo and mix with the guys from the Fiat Yamaha team, which is missing Valentino Rossi as if he were of their own flesh and blood. While it’s true that without the Doctor, whether for injury or whether for the rumours of Rossi to Ducati, the future of the team hangs in the balance. Indeed, looking at the television statistics for the MotoGP from Italy, the entire sport is suffering without its most charismatic presence.

While I think Rossi’s timeout and his injury is very good practice for the MotoGP and for Yamaha, in terms of a future retirement of the rider, I had not expected this drastic a fallout. There is a sense of pending dread over the paddock without Rossi, and in general among the fans and spectators, the reason for following the MotoGP has been suddenly removed.

During in our interview with Wilco Zeelenberg, the teammanager didn’t answer our question about whether Jorge Lorenzo could have had his success so far this season if Rossi had still been on the scene. We can only imagine how it must be for the Spanish rider - finally your time comes and no-one cares. What’s more, many believe you couldn’t have been at the top without your teammate being removed through injury.

Continue reading: The Valentino effect and Jorge Lorenzo: the Rossi era over for Yamaha?

Off the back of his own talent and on the strength of the Fiat Yamaha team, Jorge Lorenzo is the undisputed number one rider in MotoGP at the moment and we had a chance to talk to his team manager, Wilco Zeelenberg after today’s qualifying at the MotoGP Assen. It’s hard not to like Zeelenberg, with his twinkly blue eyes and enthusiastic manner.

While it’s clear he’s good natured, we think this probably belies his efficiency and professionalism in the box itself. With Lorenzo’s recent success, the team dynamic and the bike set-up has found its sweet spot for the moment, and the team is riding high right now. Zeelenberg still brings a down-to-earth attitude to the management as he knows they’ve got a long way to go yet.

Our conversation starts just as Zeelenberg gets a message about his old protégé, Cal Crutchlow, and Crutchlow’s start at the Misano SBK.

Given that you won with Crutchlow last year, would you have liked to see him on the Yamaha Tech 3 bike and how do you think he would have done?

Yes, of course. I think he deserved a seat on the superbike first of all. Ok, so he was planning on going to Moto2 but I’m happy he’s staying with Yamaha. Yamaha had an option on him, and I pushed for him to stay with Yamaha. I said “let him go and he will run against you the next three, four years”. I’m very positive about him, he has a strong mind, and he’s talented and fit. He has space for speed. Supersport was nice for him but has space to go faster and that’s what I saw last year, and what was already proven in superbike as well.

Continue reading: Assen interview with Wilco Zeelenberg: Lorenzo team manager talks to TwoWheels

As the Rossi to Ducati rumours really take off, the Italian press is reporting that Ducati will cut its SBK team to acquire the world champion Italian rider. If Valentino Rossi moves to Ducati it will be under a Marlboro contract and to finance the move, a total re-organisation of Ducati Corse would take place in which the superbike team would be scratched.

With money tight and motorsports looking to cut costs, Ducati’s move to kill its historic superbike team could be motivated by other than its desire to purchase Rossi, although the move provides a neat excuse. If Ducati were to take this drastic decision, it would also find itself with a whole lot of new money in its coffers - something other teams either can’t or would be unwilling to do.

The rumours of Rossi to Ducati are more persistant every day and if the Italian rider is looking for big money somewhere, he won’t find it at Yamaha despite his repeated desire to remain with the team and finish his career there. As reported by MotoMatters, Rossi was looking at a salary cut which he was apparently comfortable with, until that cut meant financing Jorge Lorenzo’s new contract.

Continue reading: Ducati to kill SBK for Valentino Rossi contract?

On taking our live pics of Lorenzo’s M1 yesterday, we also got a few shots of Rossi’s bike (coming up) which is set up whether he’s there or not, as well as a tiny glimpse more of cover than bike, of another two Yamaha M1’s in the garage. One of them is the bike Rossi crashed with, which has been fixed since the accident. With repaired fairing and parts, it’s currently just a chassis missing its engine.

The other M1 under the sheet is a shadowy, mysterious thing and I was told that unless I already had an idea of what it was, my ‘tour guide’ wasn’t going to be the one to tell me. In fact, his exact words were “It’s not fun if you know all the surprises at once.” I deterred, but the fact remains I still don’t know what’s under there. At today’s free practice at the MotoGP Assen, there was talk of new Fiat Yamaha livery, so my bets are there. Start your guessing now….

Continue reading: Yamaha guessing games and the M1 under the sheet: new Fiat Yamaha livery?

The hush of the Fiat Yamaha box will be no longer today when the free practice round gets started this afternoon. We took a look at Jorge Lorenzo’s bike, ready for the trials at today’s MotoGP Assen; a bike which carries the top rider of the moment and the dreams that Yamaha will still win the championship, but this time with Lorenzo and not Valentino Rossi.

Meanwhile, Lin Jarvis has announced that Yamaha preferred to keep an in-family rider as subsitute for Rossi, and that Yoshikawa will race for at least three rounds, likely excluding the possibility of yesterday’s rumour that Rossi would return for Laguna Seca. Lorenzo is looking relaxed and calm so far at Assen so we can expect a good performance from him again. Check out his resting but ready bike in the gallery below.

Jorge Lorenzo M1 waits

Continue reading: Behind the scenes at MotoGP: Fiat Yamaha box Lorenzo's M1

At a brief press conference at the MotoGP Assen, current number one in the rankings Jorge Lorenzo has stated that he’s not worried about next year. Commenting on the silly season contract rumours, Lorenzo has stated that he’s focusing on finishing number one this year. From his serious expression, we know that this is his big aim and there’s no reason at this stage to say he won’t achieve it.

We know Lorenzo was pleased with his performance last weekend and just how pleased has buoyed him for the coming races at Assen. He says: “I was not happy with Mugello but I was happy with Silverstone. Being at the front at the start creates less work for me on the track and we’ve been working to our best for each track.” He’s looking forward to racing at Assen, and we know he’s already said it’s one of his favourite tracks.

With other technical information discussed, including improving tyre choice at the MotoGP to make them less unpredictable and the move to extra testing for rider safety, the journalists present really want to know about the Fiat Yamaha team dynamic. Lorenzo says: “I’m not worried about next year. It really doesn’t concern me at all. I want to get to the end of this year and be in that number one spot at the end.”

On reaching the top spot in the rankings, Lorenzo is clearly proud about his achievement: “I’ve been given this opportunity and I intend to take advantage of it.” But the key question on the Rossi-Lorenzo relationship comes from an English journalist: “If you could choose between Valentino Rossi staying in Yamaha or going to another team, which would you choose?” And Lorenzo, with a slight smile simply answers: “Rossi with me.”

Continue reading: Jorge Lorenzo in Assen: I'm not worried about next year but let's keep Rossi

In a world of old and jaded journalists, it’s not easy to impress with a media strategy in the MotoGP. But that’s exactly what Jorge Lorenzo does and it’s not even a ‘media strategy’ but his own socialising on Twitter and Facebook that has many old hacks eyes open. After Lorenzo’s win on Sunday at the Silverstone MotoGP, one journalist heard him on the phone to Mark Webber, who had called to congratulate.

It seems Webber has an affinity with the Fiat Yamaha team, having also called Valentino Rossi to commiserate and offer advice after Rossi’s crash and injury. Lorenzo was overheard saying to Webber “see you on Twitter”. We’ve got our biggest sports stars chatting away with new technology, making things more interesting and accessible than television and print journos would have it.

Lorenzo’s frequent and well known use of Twitter also puts him in contrast with his absent teammate, Valentino Rossi, who enjoys his clever gags and contact with fans on a more traditional basis. We know that Rossi is loved by fans and media alike, but in return he’s not so keen on journalists themselves.

Lorenzo is also more reserved publicly but his use of Twitter makes it so easy for the Yamaha communications team to promote the rider and run their communication campaigns. It also gives Lorenzo the edge in terms of being a young rider who uses social media as part of his overall profile as sports celebrity. It puts him at the forefront of the new era of riders where the PR guy doesn’t have all the control over your contact with your fans.

Continue reading: Jorge Lorenzo and Mark Webber catch up on Twitter

The major logistics operation behind the MotoGP teams is quite something to see and this week we travelled with the Fiat Yamaha team from Silverstone to Assen for the next stop on the 2010 MotoGP calendar. Some trivia from the trip is that Valentino Rossi’s dedicated truck driver is called Valentino himself!

Valentino (the driver) has known Rossi for about ten years and is the major logistics manager of the truck and all the equipment on board. The truck on a full load weighs a total of 32 tonnes, but Valentino is an experienced hand at this game. A qualified mechanic, he started his trade of trucking many years ago in the luxury boat race sector.

It is his job to pack up the pit-box, drive the truck and then set up again on arrival at the next destination. This particular trip involved a marathon in the traffic from Silverstone, only to miss the boat for the Netherlands, putting the start back by a day. The boat trip itself is a chance for the staff to relax, before more driving to get the MotoGP Assen.

On the road with Yamaha and Valentino

Continue reading: MotoGP Fiat Yamaha: on the road with Valentino

It looks like Yamaha Racing will have to take out a help wanted ad to fill in for Valentino Rossi, because according to MCN, World Superbike rider Cal Crutchlow has declined a temporary move to replace Colin Edwards in Tech3.

From MCN’s article it seems 100% sure that it will be Colin Edwards who will be replacing injured Rossi in the Fiat Yamaha team for the Catalunya, Sachsenring and Laguna Seca rounds, which leaves a spot open in Herve Poncharal’s Tech3 team alongside Ben Spies, but Crutchlow after talks with Yamaha management in Milan on Monday, decided not to accept their tempting offer.

We’re wondering if Yamaha also asked former MotoGP rider James Toseland, who knows the M1, the tires, the tracks and the Tech3 squad?

Continue reading: Cal Crutchlow refuses MotoGP chance