From a press release issued by Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha:

YAMAHA FACTORY TEAM CONFIRMS RIDER LINE-UP FOR 2005

Yamaha is pleased to announce that Colin Edwards will join Valentino Rossi in its MotoGP Factory Racing Team in 2005. Yamaha and Edwards have signed an agreement for a two-year programme in MotoGP.

The move is a return for Edwards to the manufacturer with whom he raced in the World Superbike World Championship from 1995 to 1997.

“We are delighted to announce the arrival of Colin to our Factory MotoGP Team,” commented Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing. “Colin started his international racing career with Yamaha in our Factory World Superbike Team from 1995 to 1997. Since then he has had a successful career in World Superbike and MotoGP. His return to Yamaha as a professional, experienced and successful racer will surely be an asset to our Factory Team, and we are expecting great things from him on the YZR-M1.”

This announcement confirms that Yamaha will end its six-year collaboration with Carlos Checa.

“The arrival of Colin also marks the end of our working partnership with Carlos,” stated Jarvis. “We would like to thank Carlos for his many years of dedicated contribution to Yamaha. Having worked closely together for six years since the start of the Yamaha Factory GP Team, it was felt by Carlos and Yamaha that the time had come for both of us to make a change and seek new challenges. We wish Carlos every success for the future.”