The legendary MotoGP racer Valentino Rossi has signed a "multi-year brand ambassador deal" with the Japanese team Yamaha. The nine-time MotoGP world champion joined Yamaha in 2004, and his presence was important in the company's turnaround, as Yamaha went on to win the next two championships. Rossi completed his MotoGP career with Yamaha in 2021, having won a total of seven premier-class championships with the company. The news that Valentino Rossi would once again be representing Yamaha has excited his legion of supporters across the globe. The nine-time World Champion and Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. have agreed to a brand ambassadorship deal after 16 years of competition together. The Italian racer had two separate spells with Yamaha, the first from 2004 to 2009 and the second from 2013 to the end of 2021 after two disappointing years with Ducati in 2011 and 2012. Rossi is the most successful rider in Grand Prix history for Yamaha, having won 56 of his 89 MotoGP races with the brand.
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Yamaha Motor Co's General Manager Motorsport Strategy Division, Tetsu Ono, said: “I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Valentino for continuing our partnership. Yamaha is very proud to have Valentino as a Brand Ambassador, perhaps even more so since the desire to become one came from him personally. To have a nine-time World Champion’s seal of approval is the best recommendation you can get as a motorcycle brand.”
Tetsu Ono further added, "Yamaha enters this agreement with the full intent to meet Valentino’s needs where it comes to powered two-wheelers for training and leisure purposes. We look forward to working together with him to strengthen the Yamaha brand."
Managing director of Yamaha Motor Racing and Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team Principal, Lin Jarvis, said: “This is a great moment for Yamaha and it’s also an emotional development for the fans, who I’m sure miss Valentino’s presence in MotoGP since he retired from his successful career. Valentino and his M1 shared a special bond. His arrival at Yamaha was the catalyst that completely changed our MotoGP racing programme to the point that Valentino and Yamaha almost became synonymous. Together we achieved many wins, podiums, and 4 championships, and then there are also the moments behind the scenes: the hard work but also the fun parts and the shared passion for racing. We always considered Valentino as ‘family’, and as soon as he expressed his desire to keep using Yamaha bikes and to become a brand ambassador, we went to work to make it happen. We are thrilled that Valentino is now officially our ambassador.”
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Valentino Rossi commented on his appointment as Yamaha's brand ambassador: “For sure, this agreement between me and Yamaha gives a great emotion. We worked together for many years in the past, so it feels natural. After I retired from MotoGP, I’ve kept training and riding motorcycles. I was always planning to keep racing in one form or another. During my MotoGP career I rode Yamaha bikes as part of my contract. But even after retiring, I kept using Yamaha bikes because I enjoy it. I’m happy that the agreement is now signed, so Yamaha and I get to work together in this new setup.”
The contract between Valentino Rossi's VR46 Racing Team and Ducati continues until the end of 2024. There is some speculation that Rossi's endorsement deal with Yamaha might pave the way for a VR46 satellite partnership with Yamaha in 2025.
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