MotoGP: Stability key for Yamaha success

Stability is the key to help Yamaha return to the top of the MotoGP world championship.

Yamaha race chief Lin Jarvis believes a settled team and rider line-up will help Yamaha’s bid for success, with the Japanese factory without a premier class world title since Valentino Rossi’s 2005 triumph.

Yamaha already has rookie sensation and early MotoGP world championship leader Jorge Lorenzo tied up on a contract for 2009, while British rider James Toseland is already guaranteed to be on a YZR-M1 next year.

The double World Superbike champion exercised a September option in his current Tech 3 Yamaha deal at the last race in Portugal. Yamaha also clinched a new two-year deal with the Tech 3 squad, assuring the French-based team of the supply of two factory-supported machines until the end of the 2010 season.

Negotiations will commence soon with seven-times world champion Rossi about a contract extension, and Jarvis told MCN: “Stability is something that doesn’t often happen in racing, but when it does happen often it brings success and good results as well.

“Already we have pinned down the signing of Jorge Lorenzo for next year and now we have already signed James Toseland for 2009, so two of our riders are already done.

“We will shortly start discussions with Valentino, which we hope will let us secure an extension of his contract. We would like to know who are riders will be and who are partners will be as soon as possible.”