Lin Jarvis, Managing Director for Yamaha recorded this brief video yesterday during the second day of testing at Sepang, and seems pretty optimistic for the 2012 season and talks about riders Ben Spies, Jorge Lorenzo, Cal Crutchlow and Andrea Dovizioso, but also about rivals Casey Stoner and Ducati.

Yesterday three of the four Yamaha riders were in the top five.

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All the top riders in MotoGP contracts expire at the end of this season and while Valentino Rossi has said that he’d like to race for another couple of years and maybe negotiate another two year contract with Ducati, if things go better this season, Yamaha’s Lin Jarvis has shut the door on the eventuality of the Italian returning to his old team.

Jarvis has already said that keeping Jorge Lorenzo is a key priority for them, with a nod also towards negotiations with Casey Stoner, but Rossi is “not an option.”

Jarvis commenting on silly season rumors of having Rossi back as a team mate with Lorenzo said, “It’s an interesting question, but right now I have no idea what projects Valentino has for the future, if he’ll continue motorcycle racing or turn to car racing like he talked about when he was with us. In any case, Valentino and Jorge together again Yamaha is not an option we are considering for the future.

Continue reading: Lin Jarvis: "Valentino Rossi back in Yamaha is not an option"

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An email from Dorna sent to IRTA (International Road Racing Teams Association) who then conveyed to all the MotoGP, Moto2 and 125cc teams that they expect that everyone to honour their contracts regarding the Japanese Grand Prix has melted the riders boycott like snow in the sun.

The recent ARPA study that declared Motegi safe and race officials confirming that the race will go ahead as planned has already had its effect, with Yamaha Tech3 and Jorge ‘Aspar’ Martinez announcing that their teams will be present at the Twin Ring circuit October 2nd, now Yamaha has confirmed that they expect Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies also to attend the Japanese race.

Speaking to MCN.com Lin Jarvis confirmed that Yamaha will be racing in Japan, “We expect both of our riders to be there and we also expect that Tech 3 will have their riders there, which was confirmed in Brno. We are expecting both of our riders will be in attendance.”
Jarvis also stated Yamaha will field replacement riders if either Lorenzo or Spies decided to skip the race.

Ben Spies has seemingly decided to attend the controversial GP as he didn’t show up at the last Safety Commission meeting at Brno, where Valentino Rossi declared he was afraid and that he might not go, also stating that other riders are being pressured into changing their minds, while Jorge Lorenzo who has been the most outspoken and has said no from the beginning on Motegi has softened his stance as has Casey Stoner. Both are still reconsidering their previous positions on the Japanese GP.

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Yamaha Racing will officially present their 2011 MotoGP squad and livery at the Sepang 2 test on February 21st, but it looks like the team (judging by the very brief press release) may be doing without a title sponsor, unless Lin Jarvis comes up with a last minute deal or the team will have to revert to plan B running corporate colors.

Despite winning the MotoGP championship for three years in row, a new title sponsor has yet to materialize ever since Fiat dropped out at the end of the 2010 season, which coincided with Valentino Rossi (who had ties to the Agnelli/Elkan family, including sharing an ex-girlfriend) leaving the team for Ducati.

Names like Telefonica, and Air Asia Airlines have been bandied around as eventual sponsors with Petronas being asked to up their ante in the team. Yamaha has concentrated much of their promotional efforts in Asia, but with the Japanese manufacturer celebrating its 50th anniversary in Grand Prix racing, a title sponsor would certainly put less economic strain on the team.

Yamaha press release after the jump:

Continue reading: Yamaha to officially present 2011 MotoGP team at Sepang 2 tests

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Four world championships, 46 wins, countless podiums, this is the result of Valentino Rossi’s seven year stay at Yamaha, which everyone back in 2003 thought would be a dud when he left the winning Honda HRC team.

With Rossi donning Ducati red next season (he’ll be riding a black Ducati and wearing unadorned leathers during the two day test) he and Yamaha did the usual loved and respected relationship hoopla and all great stories must end routine for the press.

Rossi is expected to undergo shoulder surgery to repair ligament and tendon damage sustained in his April motocross accident next Monday or Tuesday in Milan.

“This is a very emotional day but I’m very happy as well because I don’t have any regrets and there have been no bad moments or thoughts throughout these seven seasons together with Yamaha. From the beginning it was something great and we worked very well together. Like in life, in sport the results are crucial but just as important is the enjoyment and we had this at Yamaha. We had a great fusion in my team – the Australians, the Italians, the Japanese, the English and many more…a lot of people all together having fun. said the nine times World Champion.

Continue reading: Bye bye baby, farewell - more from Valentino Rossi and Yamaha

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Just 24 hours later after Jorge Lorenzo celebrated his first MotoGP Championship title, thoughts are already turning to the 2011 season and if Lorenzo will be able to repeat his almost perfect season and will the stars once again align to let him win a back-to-back championship title, which any racing fan knows is the toughest thing to do.

In an interview with Spanish TV station RTVE, Lin Jarvis, Yamaha’s Managing Director has already thought about the future and has targeted “Dani Pedrosa to be Jorge Lorenzo’s toughest rival” in 2011.

Jarvis who strongly wanted Lorenzo in Yamaha, also believes that next year it will be positive for Lorenzo to be continuing with the same team compared to Casey Stoner who’ll be heading to Honda and Valentino Rossi to Ducati, adding that “Stoner will be very fast and Rossi will certainly continue to be a threat riding a Ducati”.

Continue reading: Lin Jarvis: 'Dani Pedrosa will be Jorge Lorenzo toughest rival in 2011'

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When Valentino Rossi decided that the wall that kept him separated from Jorge Lorenzo in 2008 (due to two different tire manufacturers) should stay up in 2009 he took a lot of flack, and when in 2010 the Italian rider demanded and obtained that there would no longer be any data sharing between the two riders and there was even more criticism.

Jorge Lorenzo declared at the end of 2008 declared that he didn’t like the idea of the wall that divided the two Yamaha riders and that they ‘we’re a team,’ but Yamaha boss Lin Jarvis has admitted that the controversial wall wasn’t that negative and that some sort of partition will probably be separating Lorenzo’s and Ben Spies garages.

“In the end, the wall isn’t a completely negative thing. We have had it for the last three years, and things have gone very well. If there is no wall, there will still be some separation, so each team and each rider can concentrate on their own race.” said Jarvis.

Jarvis, speaking to MCN however stated the data sharing between team mates will be reinstated in 2011, “I don’t see any need to restrict the sharing of data. I think a team is stronger if it shares its data and I’m sure we will have open data system next season.” which is completely in line with Lorenzo’s thoughts.

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The third worst kept secret of the MotoGP paddock (the first was Stoner in Honda, the second was Rossi in Ducati) has been confirmed by Yamaha, that Ben Spies will replace Valentino Rossi at the factory Yamaha team in 2011.

Spies already had a two year contract with Yamaha Japan at the end of 2009 and an option to ride for the factory team if Jorge Lorenzo or Valentino Rossi were to leave the team and with Rossi going to Ducati in 2011, the Texas Terror with his current seventh place in the world championship and the only privateer rider and a rookie at that, to stand on the podium (Silverstone) so far this year will be making the big switch.

Read the press release after the jump and take note of the phrase ‘my mechanics’ (crewchief Tom Houseworth and Greg Wood who followed Spies through the AMA, WSBK and in Tech3) that Spies mentions and which could mean that at least two of Rossi’s crew is making the jump to Ducati with him and we expect that Jorge Lorenzo, who is still playing coy saying”For my side, I still haven’t signed with Yamaha, but we all hope that it comes very soon.” will probably be announced at the Motorland Aragon GP in Spain next month.

Continue reading: No Kidding, Yamaha confirms Ben Spies in factory team

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Italian website Gpone has a interesting audio interview in English with Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing.

Jarvis is now negotiating with Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies, both riders contracts are up at the end of the year and Jarvis is also trying to understand what Valentino Rossi’s intentions are when his 2010 contract expires, if the Italian is going to retire or if he plans to continue racing.

Jorge Lorenzo is asking for € 5.000.000 to remain in Yamaha, twice the amount he is now getting, while Yamaha is offering € 3.500.000 but have said they will not open their coffers any wider in order to keep the Spanish rider.

Lorenzo is also in talks with Honda who wants another big name Spanish rider. New paddock rumors have it that HRC is willing to set up an official but private team along the lines of Rossi’s first team Nastro Azzurro to lure Lorenzo away. The team would be fully backed by Spanish telecom giant Telefonica who wants back into MotoGP after abandoning, when Dani Pedrosa who they cultivated during his career jumped on the Repsol bandwagon.

Click here and listen to Jarvis talk about which rider leads development, what they would do if both their riders were leading the championship and if there are any team orders, Ben Spies and Yamaha’s Tech 3’s Edwards and Toseland.

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