MotoGP’s Yamaha drives forward with Abarth

MotoGP World Championship motorcycling team Yamaha has reached a deal to make Italian car manufacturer Abarth an official sponsor.

The two-year agreement runs for the 2015 and 2016 MotoGP seasons and also makes Abarth the official car supplier to Yamaha at race and test events globally.

Abarth’s logo will be visible on all team equipment and the noses of the race bikes used by Yamaha riders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi. The Italian automotive brand previously had a presence on Yamaha’s bikes at the 2007 Australian Grand Prix.

Elsewhere, Yamaha has added coatings brand Cromax and Japanese technical clothing manufacturer Descente to its roster of commercial partners for 2015.

Telecommunications brand Movistar is Yamaha’s title sponsor and the team held its official 2015 launch at the Madrid headquarters of its parent company Telefonica ahead of the second season of a five-year partnership.