PETRONAS – Fiat Yamaha’s new official…
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd signs a three-year contract with PETRONAS for their factory team in MotoGP. The Fiat Yamaha Team will now carry the PETRONAS branding on the team's liveries from 2009 season.
The Malaysian oil company's logos will now be seen on the bikes of Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo. The branding will also extend to team equipment and material. The PETRONAS branded livery will be first scene in action at the opening round of this season's MotoGP Championship.
Yamaha and PETRONAS have been partners in motorcycling championships in the Asia Pacific region for over eight years. The partnership will also lead in the future for the development and production of Yamalube engine oil for Yamaha OEM vehicles.
PETRONAS will benefit from a lot of brand building through their MotoGP ties with Yamaha. The company will also become one of the bigger international players n the lubricants business.
[Via: BIKE]
Fiat Yamaha urge FIM to make MotoGP less expensive
Daniele Romagnoli and Davide Brivio, team managers at Fiat Yamaha, have urged the FIM to take decisive actions that would bring about a reduction in MotoGP costs. According to Romagnoli, team manager for Jorge Lorenzo, the FIM should reduce winter testing and/or schedule testing to coincide with the last GP of the season, which would also reduce costs (since bikes and equipment would not have to be ferried from one country to another).
Romagnoli also suggests a drastic reduction in the rev limit for MotoGP engines, which would enhance their longevity. This, according to him, would be crucial in bringing down costs because the engine is the most expensive part of a MotoGP bike in terms of the cost of components as well as research and development costs.
Reducing the rev limit to 16,000rpm would, according to Romagnoli, allow manufacturers to use the same engine in two or perhaps even three races. It would also allow a reduction in manufacturing costs since it would be possible to make these engines with relatively less expensive materials.
The Fiat Yamaha managers recommend the usage of just one ECU per bike and a drastic reduction in the usage of complex, expensive sensors such as inertial platforms and GPS. They recommend going back to simpler, less expensive electronics - the kind that were being used five years ago.
And finally, they suggest that steel (rather than carbon) brakes be used on MotoGP bikes, which would help cut costs further. 'I don't think these changes would make the championship any less spectacular. As a matter of fact, it could lead to even have more surprises,' says Romagnoli.
[Via: indiaautomotive]
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