Monster deal for Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo

Yamaha’s factory MotoGP squad, featuring Valentino Rossi and reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo in 2013, has signed a two-year sponsorship agreement with US energy drink giant Monster.

Monster Energy branding will be visible on the bikes and leathers of Rossi and Lorenzo as well as on all official team clothing and equipment.

The deal for 2013 and 2014 though is not a naming rights title sponsorship deal and doesn’t impact on Monster’s backing of the satellite Tech 3 squad that will run British duo Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith this year.

Yamaha’s quest for a title sponsor continues and the Japanese factory has not had a naming rights backer since Fiat ended its contract at the end of 2010.

In a Yamaha statement released this morning. Yamaha Motor Racing MD Lin Jarvis said: “We are very happy to be able to announce the start of a new chapter in the Yamaha – Monster Energy partnership.

Monster Energy is already a major partner to Yamaha’s top global sports activities in many domestic and international racing activities around the world in Motocross, Supercross, Endurance and Superbike disciplines. They have also been the title sponsor of the Monster Energy Tech 3 Yamaha team for the past four years.

The expansion to include the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Team is a logical and prestigious expansion of the program. This completion of the program permits Yamaha and Monster Energy to work even closer together to develop their sports marketing programs and to develop rider talent to continue to be successful into the future in all areas of motorcycle racing.

For the Yamaha Factory Racing Team this new partnership will bring even more ‘energy’ into our racing program and Monster Energy will be a great supporter to further promote our Team and our riders’ performances around the world.”

Rossi already has a multi-million pound personal deal with Monster while Spaniard Lorenzo, who clinched his second MotoGP crown in Australia last October, ended his association with Rockstar at the end of 2012.

Lorenzo has a personal engagement with Monster Energy and Yamaha included in the agreement. Rossi’s personal agreement with Monster Energy will be complementary to the agreement between Yamaha Factory Racing and Monster Energy.