Ducati and Rossi to part ways at the end of 2012 As the MotoGP series awaits its return to action for the August 19 Indianapolis Grand Prix, Ducati announces that its working relationship with Valentino Rossi will conclude at the end of the 2012 MotoGP World Championship. Ducati wishes the Italian well for the new challenges that await him, and in the meantime, the team will continue to give its best effort in order to improve over the latter part of the season. Racing has always been in Ducati’s DNA, and now more than ever, it is integral to the Borgo Panigale company’s product development and image. AUDI shares Ducati’s strategic approach and agrees with its growing commitment to competition. Therefore, having recently renewed its agreement with American Nicky Hayden, Ducati is in the process of finalizing the team that will take part in the 2013 World Championship, confident that its team and bike will be capable of competing at the highest level. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Factory Racing: Friday 10th August, 2012 – Gerno di Lesmo (Italy) It is with great pleasure that Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd confirms the signing of Valentino Rossi to ride for the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Team for 2013 and 2014. Valentino Rossi first joined Yamaha in 2004 and achieved four MotoGP World Champion titles with the Yamaha YZR-M1 in 2004 & 2005 and again in 2008 & 2009. He won 46 Grand Prix races with Yamaha over a 7 year period before leaving at the end of the 2010 MotoGP season. Rossi, who is presently 8th in the Championship standings, will partner Jorge Lorenzo who currently leads the 2012 MotoGP World Championship by 23 points, having taken five victories from the first ten completed races of the 18 race series. Lin Jarvis Managing Director, Yamaha Motor Racing “This announcement is once again excellent news for Yamaha. In June we were able to sign Jorge Lorenzo for the 2013-14 campaign and now we are able to confirm Valentino Rossi for the next two years. In doing so we have been able to put together the strongest possible team to challenge for victories and to promote the Yamaha brand. We have run this ‘super team’ together in 2008, 2009 and 2010 and during that time we achieved the ‘triple crown’ titles with Rider, Manufacturer and Team World Championship victories for three consecutive years. The target for the future is obvious and we will do our utmost to achieve our goals. I have no doubt that with the experience, knowledge, skills and speed of these two great champion riders we will be able to challenge for many race wins and for the 2013 & 2014 World Championship titles. The signing of Valentino completes our future planning for the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Team. Now that this is done we will put our 100% efforts into completing the job at hand and to supporting Ben Spies and Jorge Lorenzo in their search for race victories and for Jorge’s 2012 World Championship title challenge.” More, from a press release issued by Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca: Valentino Rossi’s Return to Yamaha Factory Racing to be a Boost for Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Seven-Time World Champion Valentino Rossi Returns to Yamaha Factory Racing MONTEREY, Calif., August 10, 2012 Ending weeks of speculation, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd announced today that Valentino Rossi has signed on to ride for the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP™ team for the 2013 and 2014 seasons. Rossi won four of his seven MotoGP™ World Champion titles while with Yamaha. He will once again join teammate and rival, current MotoGP™ Championship points leader and 2010 World Champion, Jorge Lorenzo in the Yamaha garage. “We look forward to the return of Valentino to the Yamaha family,” said Gill Campbell, CEO/general manager. “He won the 2008 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix here at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and we think this move will only add to the excitement of the event.” Yamaha has been an integral sponsor of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and has naming rights to the Yamaha Marketplace. The Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix featuring MotoGP™ World Championship has been held at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca since 2005 and is contracted at the venue through the 2014 season. MotoGP™ is the premier motorcycle racing World Championship; an 18-race series visiting 13 countries on four continents and with enormous global television coverage. Nine nationalities of the world’s most skilled riders line a grid armed with cutting edge motorcycle technology with prototype machinery fielded by three manufacturers; Yamaha, Ducati, and Honda. Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca was established in 1957 and has been operated since its inception by the Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula (SCRAMP), a not-for-profit 501c(4) corporation. Each race season, SCRAMP donates its net proceeds to the volunteer groups that help organize the races. For more information about Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca please visit MazdaRaceway.com or call 800.327.7322.