From a press release issued by Ducati Corse: Ducati and Enel announce their new agreement bringing the top Italian energy group to the MotoGP championship for the first time ever 7th January 2008 – On the day before the official Ducati MotoGP Team launch, the Borgo Panigale manufacturers and Enel have officially entered into a new, top-level partnership agreement. The biggest electric company in Italy, and second listed utility company in Europe by installed capacity, has decided to link its trade mark and corporate image with Ducati, the 2007 MotoGP World Champions famous for their own winning ‘power’. According to the two-year agreement, the Enel brand will feature on the Desmosedici GP bikes as well as the leathers and helmets of both Ducati MotoGP Team factory riders, the reigning World Champion Casey Stoner from Australia and Italian Marco Melandri, who makes his Ducati debut this year on the Italian four-cylinder machine. “It is not just a sponsorship agreement,” commented Gabriele Del Torchio, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding. “Ours is a partnership between two major industrial concerns which – through their innovation, productivity and knowledge – typify Italian excellence and winning strength in sport and in business. This partnership, like all the other prestigious agreements that support us in the highly demanding MotoGP challenge, confirms the level of credibility achieved by our brand and professionalism. Enel will be not only our partner in MotoGP, but also our official energy supplier, therefore actually contributing to the growth and development of our company.” “The partnership between Enel and Ducati,” said Fulvio Conti, Enel Managing Director and CEO “brings together two companies that are examples of that virtuous Italian spirit acknowledged internationally. Ducati is a world-famous model enterprise. Enel is today a multinational company active in 21 countries, using international expansion as its main asset to become a European leader. Competitiveness, professionalism and innovation combined with loyalty and fair practice are values promoted by Enel over many years. Today, we share these values with a sport and a brand that are part of our national heritage. This is a partnership that goes beyond sporting competition, as starting from today, Enel is also the official energy supplier to Ducati. Hopefully, our combined efforts will help us achieve more and more important goals”. The new partnership with Ducati is part of Enel commitment to sports. Enel, which already supports basketball, volleyball and football, now sponsors a motor sport for the first time and begins in style by supporting the World Champions of the highly prestigious MotoGP class.