PaddockSpy-Grand Prix Blog

Continuing on from the team’s online presentation –sent across the world on February 12th of this year- Fiat Yamaha concluded the two-part unveiling of their 2009 project with a press conference in their hospitality suite on Friday evening.

Present at the event were riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo, in addition to their respective crew chiefs Davide Brivio and Daniele Romagnoli, Fiat Yamaha Project Director Masahiko Nakajima, Yamaha Racing Managing Director Lin Jarvis and Fiat CEO Lorenzo Sistino. A Q&A session lasting over an hour gave journalists an insight into the 2009 MotoGP project, with Yamaha offering a resilient outlook in the face of the current global economic situation.

“Yamaha has shown commitment in our endeavours. Being successful means that this project has retained important sponsors and support. We particularly want to thank Fiat for their continued involvement,” said Jarvis.

“Business is difficult, and the business period for selling bikes in the market is approaching, but we are fully committed to MotoGP.”

When pressed on cost-cutting methods enforced for the new season, Rossi stated that he would see little change to his Grand Prix weekends by joking that “I signed my contract in June. Who it will probably affect more are my mechanics and the people around me. However, the reduction of practice time worries me a little as we sometimes only found the best setting on Sunday morning last year.”

Brivio added his opinion that “the fans will not be thinking about any problems when they sit down at two o’ clock to watch the races.”

Pulling together has also led to cooperation in the Fiat Yamaha garage. Lorenzo’s answer to the endless posing of questions about the wall dividing him and his teammate? “I have Valentino’s telemetry, and he has mine, but every rider has to concentrate on his own work or he will never win"

source: www.motogp.com