MotoGP news

Yamaha extends Lorenzo contract

Fiat Yamaha has announced that Spain's Jorge Lorenzo will remain with the team for the 2010 season. Speculation has been raised over the futures of the two parties over recent weeks although Lorenzo, currently placed second in the championship to team-mate Valentino Rossi, will stay with the outfit for at least one more year.

With the leading Spaniard in the field having been linked with the Repsol Honda team with regards to his MotoGP future, a announcement two Fridays ago that Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso would be retained for both the 2010 and 2011 seasons confirmed that Lorenzo would not be provided with a third bike.

However, despite a small number of discrepancies over the matter between Lorenzo and his team, the Majorcan has been retained alongside Rossi ahead of 2010. "We are obviously delighted that Jorge has decided to stay at Yamaha for the next season and we hope that he will remain at Yamaha for many years to come," commented managing director of Yamaha Motor Racing, Lin Jarvis. "Jorge has shown his talent, his ability to learn and to compete at the highest level with many excellent performances in 2008 and 2009.

"We have no doubt that he has the ability and drive to become MotoGP World Champion and we are proud that he has decided to remain with Yamaha, despite having received some very serious approaches from some of our competitors. This timely decision now allows us to focus on the present championship, where our riders are currently first and second, and to make definitive plans for our 2010 MotoGP program."

"I am very happy!" added 22-year-old Lorenzo, who currently trails Rossi by 50 points. "Today is a good day because I have decided to remain with the Yamaha Factory Team in 2010.

"It was a very important decision and that's why I have had to take the last few weeks to make it, but I think that this is the best decision for me at the moment. I want to thank Yamaha, because they have always done everything that they have promised, and I especially would like to say thank you to Lin Jarvis and Masao Furusawa (general manager of Yamaha's development division)."

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