From a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM – PRESS INFORMATION

POLINI MOTORI NEW OFFICIAL SPONSOR OF DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM

Bologna (Italy), January 29, 2003 – An important new sponsorship agreement was signed today between Ducati Corse and Polini Motori. With a contract that extends through 2003 and with an option for 2004, the Bergamo-based company has made official the presence of the Polini Motori logo on the red bikes of the DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM, which will line up for the 2003 MotoGP championship in the hands of its two champions Troy Bayliss and Loris Capirossi.

“The accord with the Ducati Marlboro Team is a very interesting one,” said Saimon Polini, Marketing Director of Polini Motori. “MotoGP is an exciting project and it is an honour for Polini Motori to take part. This partnership will allow us to link up again with a champion of the calibre of Loris Capirossi, who together with us has already won two 125cc world titles, and to start another working relationship with the team’s other champion, Australian Troy Bayliss. The partnership will help to increase awareness of our company, our products and our mini-bikes. We are really pleased with our decision and we are sure that Ducati will make its presence felt at the MotoGP circuits, just like it has always done in SBK.”

Satisfaction was also expressed in Ducati Corse. “Having Polini as one of our sponsors makes us really proud,” commented Livio Suppo, Ducati Corse Marketing Director. “They join a prestigious list of partners who are accompanying us in this exciting and demanding MotoGP project. Polini Motori has always been an extremely dynamic company, capable of sharing new challenges with enthusiasm. Being part of the Ducati Marlboro Team is further confirmation of the validity and the potential of our programme.”