From a press release issued by Dorna:

BMW renew sponsorship of MotoGP Best Qualifier Award

MotoGP’s official safety car supplier BMW have renewed their support to the Best Qualifier of the Year award, which will be won at the end of the season by the rider with the lowest accumulated qualifying times over the course of the 17 races of the 2005 World Championship, including their effort from the upcoming MotoGP Official Test.

The BMW Award enters its third edition, having been won for the previous two years by World Champion Valentino Rossi. For 2005 the prize will be a BMW M5 model, one of the top of the range cars from the German manufacturer.

Additionally, an extra prize is to be presented to the fastest man in the MotoGP Official Test, the prologue to the season, that will take place at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona on March 20th. Rossi is also a past winner of this award, which this season will be a new BMW 1 series, having set the quickest time last season, whilst Loris Capirossi won the inaugural edition in 2003.

BMW’s partnership with MotoGP as the Official Safety Car to the series started at the beginning of the 2000 season. As well as supplying all the vehicles for this purpose to race direction, marshals and doctors, BMW cars are also used for the VIP Village and the media services.