Rossi romped to his fifth win of the season

Valentino Rossi romped to his fifth win of the season in Brno to move a step closer to a sixth FIM MotoGP Championship.

The Fiat Yamaha star started the Czech Republic race on pole position ahead of team-mate and nearest challenger Jorge Lorenzo and the duo fought out a race-long duel before the young Spaniard crashed out with five laps remaining to all but end his title hopes.

Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa inherited second after Lorenzo's error with Toni Elias, Andrea Dovizioso and Loris Capirossi rounding out the top five.

With Casey Stoner beginning his three-race break to recover from a mystery illness, Mika Kallio stepped into the factory Marlboro Ducati team for his debut and was lying in a creditable ninth before crashing on the penultimate lap, while British rider James Toseland was ninth on his Tech 3 Yamaha.

Pedrosa led at turn one ahead of Rossi after a trademark quick start but the masterful Italian took just three corners to slide past to leave Lorenzo in third.

Lorenzo soon passed Pedrosa on lap three to chase down Rossi and the pair then exchanged a series of new lap records before Lorenzo made a fine move with seven laps remaining to take the lead.

Rossi then made a move at the same corner with five laps to go and Lorenzo buckled under the pressure to crash out and leave Rossi to streak away to a 102nd career win, some 11.766 seconds ahead of Pedrosa.

Lorenzo - who also crashed out at Donington last time out - is now 50 points behind Rossi with the absent Stoner back in third in the standings.

Rossi said: "For us it was a great race - nearly perfect.

"I got in front of Dani and then pushed very hard but Jorge was just as fast. When he went past me I thought, ok, now the battle begins again but unfortunately he crashed.

"But that was good for me because 50 points is a big lead. Now we must try to keep it up and look to win again."

For Elias the unexpected podium meant a great end to a bad week in which he was told he would not be retained by the Gresini Honda team for 2010.

He said: "I am really happy because for the last four races we have been close to the front and this was a great result.

"I needed a podium and it was a present for me because of Jorge's crash.

"At this moment I don't have a bike or a team for next year but after this I hope to sort something out."

Rossi hoping for another good result at Brno

Fresh from a two-week summer break, Fiat Yamaha riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo head to Brno in the Czech Republic this weekend riding high at the top of the championship. Despite a disappointing last round in the UK the pair remain first and second in the standings with seven rounds remaining, setting up a thrilling final seven-race run to the end of the season.

Brno is a special track for Rossi as the Italian took the first of his 101 career victories there, in the 125cc class in 1996. Since then he has added a 250cc win and four MotoGP victories to his tally, including a commanding one last year on the way to his eighth World Championship title, and three second places. The 30-year-old slid out of the lead in Donington last time out but remounted to finish fifth, meaning he managed to extend his lead at the top of the championship to 25 points from his team-mate.

22-year-old Lorenzo also has an impressive record at Brno, having won there in 125cc and twice in 250cc, both times from pole position. He finished tenth at the Czech track last year, a creditable performance considering that he was nursing broken bones in his foot sustained at the previous round in America. This year he arrives more or less in full fitness, having had a chance to fully recover from another foot injury, lying second in the championship and determined to put in a good performance to try to close some of the 25-point deficit to Rossi.

This year marks the 40th time a Grand Prix has been held at Brno since the 14km road circuit was first used in 1965. Today the modern track retains much of the character of the original road circuit, with its winding chicanes and dramatic elevation changes. The well-balanced nature of the circuit make it an ideal testing venue and the team will remain there after the race for a key mid-season test. Brno sees an important new rule come into existence, with all riders now restricted to just five engines for the final seven races of the season with a 10-point deduction for any rider who goes over his quota.

Valentino Rossi - “Rested and relaxed”
“The summer ‘holiday’ wasn’t as long as usual but anyway I’ve had the chance to recharge the batteries in the break and I’m feeling rested and relaxed. Last time out wasn’t ideal but in the end it was a positive day for us and we now have a one-race buffer at the top of the championship. Despite this breathing space we can’t afford to relax for a minute because our rivals are very strong and I expect everyone to be at their best in Brno. It’s a great track for me and I took my first ever win there; I’m hoping for another good result this time.”

Jorge Lorenzo - “Aiming to get back on the podium”
“I’m really excited about this race after what feels like a long time without one. It was good to have a bit of a break and I used the time to work on my fitness and to completely recover from the injuries I had after Laguna, in the gym and with my physiotherapist. The result is that I feel much better than I did in Germany and England and I’m excited to be getting back on the bike. I like Brno and I have had good results in the past there, including three wins. This time my aim is to fight hard and get back on the podium.”

Davide Brivio - “A good circuit for Valentino and Yamaha”
“After a short break, Brno is the start of three close races before the real season finale of the remaining four events. Brno is a good circuit both for Valentino and for Yamaha in general and we have to take advantage of this to manage and hopefully extend the 25-point advantage we currently have in the championship. Valentino has always been at the top there and it’s a track that’s full of important memories for him and for us, including in 2008 when it marked the start of us ‘completing’ the job of recapturing the title. At the moment we’re working very well and we are looking forward to maintaining the same high standard as much as possible. The competition amongst the top riders is very exciting and we hope we can offer everyone another great show.”

Daniele Romagnoli - “Great motivation”
“A little break to recharge the batteries has been useful for us all before the last seven races. This has given Jorge the chance to improve his fitness after his Laguna Seca injuries and he will be in good shape for Brno. All the team and Jorge want to forget the ‘zero point’ of Donington and we have a great motivation to catch Valentino at the top of the championship! From this Grand Prix the new engine rule will be applied but Yamaha has worked hard on engine durability and maintaining performance so we’re confident that it won’t be an issue.”

Rossi: 100th grand Prix victory in Holland

Valentino Rossi claimed pole position for the Dutch TT at Assen as he bids to record his 100th grand Prix victory in Holland.

The Fiat Yamaha rider and defending FIM MotoGP World Champion, who is tied at the top of the current points standings with team-mate Jorge Lorenzo and Ducati Marlboro's Casey Stoner, left it late in the qualifying session before claiming pole with a lap time of one minute 36.025 seconds.

Dani Pedrosa was second quickest on the Repsol Honda despite still being hampered by a hip injury.

Third on the grid is Rossi's team-mate Lorenzo who will be looking to bounce back after the Italian won a thrilling duel between the two of them at the last GP in Spain.

Lorenzo was leading on the last lap when Rossi forced his way to the front at the Catalunya circuit near Barcelona.

Lorenzo became the only rider to qusport tralify for every race of the MotoGP season so far on the front row after his best time relegated Stoner to fourth on the grid at Assen.

Veteran Colin Edwards had led the session but was eventaully relegated to fifth on the grid on the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha as the times fell rapdily in the closing minutes.

Rizla Suzuki rider Loris Capirossi was sixth fastest and his team-mate Chris Vermeulen was next.

Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda), James Toseland (Monster Tech 3 Yamaha) and Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda) rounded out the top 10.

Lorenzo victorious in France

Jorge Lorenzo heads Valentino Rossi after French MotoGP grand prix win

Fiat Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo's gamble on tyres paid off as he won the FIM MotoGP World Championship race in France.

But the real shock was second place for the Hayate Racing machine of Marco Melandri, who put his Ducati and Kawasaki nightmares firmly behind him.

Jorge Lorenzo has overtaken his Fiat Yamaha team-mate, the current world champion Valentino Rossi, in the MotoGP world championship after wining the French grand prix at Le Mans.

The Spanish rider finished 17.71sec ahead of Marco Melandri of Italy, with Dani Pedrosa of Spain beating Italy's Andrea Dovizioso into third place with a late burst of speed. Lorenzo leads the overall standings by a point after four races, with Rossi and Casey Stoner tied for second on 65 points.

Rossi had gone in early to switch to his second bike with slick tyres but that strategy proved to be his undoing as he slid off and then visited the pits several times – including once for a ride-through penalty for speeding in the pit lane – to get his tyre selection right.

Behind Lorenzo and Melandri were the Honda duo Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso, with the Ducati of Stoner in fifth.

Chris Vermeulen (Suzuki) was sixth, Colin Edwards (Yamaha) finished seventh and Vermeulen's team-mate Loris Capirossi was eighth. James Toseland was ninth and Toni Elias (San Carlo Honda) 10th. Rossi came 16th and failed to score a championship point.

Melandri struggled to be competitive on the Ducati and also thought he might not be racing this season when Kawasaki pulled out of MotoGP.

A compromise deal struck by Kawasaki and series rights holders Dorna resulted in the Italian racing on machines supplied by the Japanese manufacturer and run under the Hayate Racing banner.

Melandri repaid the team with a fine second place behind Lorenzo, who had stayed out on the drying track with a bike running wet-weather tyres longer than most of his rivals.

Rossi could only finish 16th and failed to score a championship point, leaving the defending champion one point behind new leader Lorenzo in the standings and tied in second with Stoner on 65 points.

Jorge Lorenzo takes win in manic bike swap race

Fiat Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo took a stunning second win of the season in Le Mans today, negotiating varying track conditions and a change of bikes to lead from the first lap to the flag and take the championship lead. It was a doom-laden day for his team-mate Valentino Rossi however as the world champion slid off early on and then had a ride-through penalty to compound his misfortune.

With the track still wet from a rainy morning all riders started the race on rain tyres, with the mechanics readying the dry bikes in pit lane in anticipation of an early change as the track dried out. Lorenzo, starting from second, slipped a place at the start but had passed both Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa by the end of the first lap to take the lead. By lap five a dry line had begun to appear and a few riders chose to make early pit stops to change bikes. The 22-year-old Spaniard however was feeling comfortable and had an excellent pace on his Bridgestone wets and so he stayed out, constantly stretching his lead. In the end he was the last of the front-runners to pit, a gamble which paid off brilliantly as he was by then nearly 34 seconds clear and was able to rejoin the race in the lead on lap 13. Once he had bit of heat in his slick tyres the youngster put his head down and kept his nerve for the remaining 15 laps and he eventually took the chequered flag an impressive 17.710 seconds clear of second-placed Marco Melandri.

It was a day of stark contrasts on the opposite side of the garage, with Rossi forced to make an incredible four visits to pit lane. The Italian was in second behind his team-mate when he elected for an early bike change, coming in to swap onto his second M1 on dry Bridgestones after just five laps. The change went smoothly but the track was still damp in places and he went down on the next lap whilst trying to warm his tyres up. He returned to the pits next time around to swap back onto his other bike, with the rules stipulating that he had to keep one wet tyre with the second bike change, but a problem with his pit-limiter meant he was penalised for speeding on exit and forced to return once again two laps later to perform a ride-through penalty. His final visit to the garage came on lap 11 when he changed once again onto a fully-dry machine, but by then he was some two laps adrift and he finished in 16th.

Lorenzo’s 25-point haul takes him into the lead by one point and he now has 66 points to Rossi’s 65. Stoner has the same points as Rossi but lies third as the Italian has more second places, and Pedrosa follow in the standings. With just nine points separating the top four the next round in Mugello is sure to be a thrilling spectacle.

Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 1 Time: 47′52.678
“Never in all my dreams did I imagine this situation today – winning the race and leading the championship. This season I have been much more calm and careful and so I was really upset after the crash in Jerez because I didn’t expect it! Today has made up for that though. I had a very good pace with both types of tyre and the strategy of our team worked perfectly. I felt happy to stay out on the wet tyres for such a long time and in the end I think we changed at exactly the right time for our race; there was some luck on our side but we were also strong, calm and careful and this paid off. It was the first time in my life that I’ve had to change bikes during the race and I was very nervous, but it went smoothly and I was able to rejoin in the lead. I’m sorry for Valentino because it was bad luck to crash, but now we are nearly on the same points and it seems like the championship is starting again! I want to thank my team because they were very clever today, I’m so happy to be here and to have won a third MotoGP race.”

Valentino Rossi - Position: 16th Time: +2 Laps
“I had difficulties from the start today and I really could not ride my bike to its best. Already by the fourth lap I felt that I was quite slow and that I couldn’t ride as I wanted. I decided to change bikes early because usually this strategy – being among the first to change the bike pays off. Of course I knew that I had to warm the tyres up a little bit but I crashed anyway in that corner because at that point the track was still wet and I just didn’t ride into it in a calm enough manner. Luckily I was able to make it back to the pits and I changed again, but the rule says that if you change the bike again then you have to use one wet tyre, and so this is what we did. When I started that time, the pit-limiter on my bike was not on and so I was given a ride-through for speeding, but by that time it was too late for our race anyway. We’ve had problems throughout the entire weekend with the set-up of the bike and today I was just hoping that I could stay with the riders in front and get some important points for the championship. Now we go to Mugello, my home GP, where I will perhaps be even more motivated than usual!”.

Rossi takes first win of the season

Valentino Rossi celebrates podium at Gran Premio bwin.com de España

A crowd of more than 120,000 fans at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit witnessed a victory for Valentino Rossi in the first European race of 2009.

Valentino Rossi took his first win of the season at the Gran Premio bwin.com de España on Sunday, beating Dani Pedrosa to the line by a 2.7s margin in front of a huge Spanish crowd in Andalusia.

Pedrosa led for the first half of the race having made one of his trademark strong starts from second on the grid, but Rossi took the lead with ten laps to go and did not look back there and his triumph gives him an 11 point lead in the general standings.

The rostrum was completed by Casey Stoner, who trailed Rossi by 10 seconds, the Ducati Marlboro rider moving into second place in the championship. It was the Australian’s first podium appearance at the southern Spanish track.

As was the case in the 250cc and 125cc races the Spanish rider who got underway in pole position crashed out when Fiat Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo lost control riding in fourth place with three laps to go, losing ground in the championship race.

An excellent performance from Randy de Puniet, meanwhile, saw the Frenchman bring his LCR Honda satellite machine home in fourth place, having qualified in fifth, to give himself a confidence boost ahead of his home GP in two weeks time at Le Mans.

Another excellent run from Marco Melandri gave the Italian another good points haul in fifth, the former Ducati and Honda rider improving on his good result from last weekend in Japan for the Kawasaki-equipped Hayate Racing team.

Rizla Suzuki’s Loris Capirossi rode steadily from sixth on the grid, to come home in the same position, meaning five different manufacturers were represented in the top six.

Monster Tech Yamaha’s Colin Edwards crossed the line seventh, whilst Andrea Dovizioso did well to finish eighth in his third ride for the factory Repsol Honda team having left the track at one stage. Toni Elías was the second best Spaniard in ninth for the San Carlo Honda Gresini team, with the top ten completed by Suzuki’s Chris Vermeulen.

Sete Gibernau on his return to Jerez could only manage 11th for the Grupo Francisco Hernando team, whilst 2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden crossed the line 15th.

The MotoGP stars return to action at the Grand Prix de France in a fortnight’s time.

Valentino Rossi turns 30

Valentino Rossi turns 30 today, 16th February 2009. The Fiat Yamaha rider has had an immensely successful career to date, winning eight world championships, 97 races and becoming the most successful premier-class rider of all time. As he enters his 14th season in the world championship, his sixth with Yamaha, he is still the dominating force in the sport, having recaptured the title in typically exciting style last season.

Below is a collection of quotes from colleagues, fellow riders, family and a few of his more famous fans. Some are recollections of favourite moments with Valentino, whilst some are simply messages for him on the day he turns 30. All are different ways of saying ‘Happy Birthday, Valentino!'
DAVIDE BRIVIO (FIAT YAMAHA TEAM MANAGER)
"I don't really have a favourite memory of Valentino, or at least it's difficult to choose the ‘absolute best!' The first one that comes to mind however is just after the Welkom race in 2004, his famous first MotoGP race with Yamaha. Before Valentino finally joined Yamaha, during one of the meetings the previous September, he said that he wanted to win his first race with Yamaha! This immediately created a lot of pressure for me and for Yamaha, but anyway I promised him that we would all try all our best. Honestly at that time I felt that it was going to be a very difficult thing to achieve! During the final few pre-season tests the chances of doing it began to look better and better, but in a race itself anything can happen. Incredibly, he won that race in Welkom and just after it, after the technical meeting had finished, we were alone in his changing room. Somebody had left a bottle of wine in the fridge and we opened it and raised a toast to that day way back in September, when he had first said that he wanted to win this race. "We did it!" I said to him. It was a very emotional moment for me because it was the moment we achieved our very first target together. Happy Birthday!"

CESARE CREMONINI (SINGER AND FRIEND)
"Vale is a fighter, but armed with a smile. I've never seen him lose his humanity, even in the most difficult moments. One time I found him making gags and jokes as if he was at home with friends, when in fact he had just a couple of minutes to go before a decisive race. While he was putting on his leathers, ready to go out and challenge the world, he transmitted a joy for life, listening to a song on his ipod. "Ciao Ragazzi! See you later!&quo t; He said. Then came a sweeping victory at the limits of possibility and a long night of partying together! Happy Birthday, Vale!"

TOM CRUISE (ACTOR AND ROSSI FAN)
"Valentino, You are a true champion. You keep raising the bar, relentlessly pursuing the next race, the next challenge, the next championship. I also know that the victories don't necessarily become easier. You have to dig deeper, work even harder, become more focused to overcome the distractions. That's what you do. And I, like countless others, know that when you're on that track anything is possible. It was my great pleasure to be there at Laguna Seca and see you take that victory. I can honestly say I've never seen anything like it! You certainly don't disappoint! Thank you for all the great races you have given us, and for all the great races yet to come. Happy Birthday."

DANIEL DAY-LEWIS (ACTOR AND ROSSI FAN)
"Every race, every win, every championship! Vale the kid in the portaloo is an old favourite, always irresistible in victory and gracious in defeat (not that he had to prove it very often!) But the all-time favourite memory for me would be him at Laguna Seca going inside Stoner through the dirt. Death or glory; the whole race an answer to those daft enough still to have a question. And to have shaken the hand of that man - that I won't forget either."

ALDO DRUDI (DESIGNER AND FRIEND)
"Cattolica, August 1996, 2pm, very hot. I'm travelling by motorbike on a deserted road towards the sea, when a small and colourful outline appears from an intersection ahead, going very fast. A young boy on a scooter ‘closes' the corner, accentuates the bend, runs around the pavement, straightens up and pulls a wheelie... he holds the wheelie on the aqua-green Zip for more than 200 metres, still on the gas. I accelerate and catc h him up. The boy lets go of the left handlebar and lifts the left hand in a sign of victory. I recognise him and follow him. Finally he lowers the wheel and with his feet on the footrests he throws embraces and salutes all around the road to his imaginary fans. He notices me, right beside him, and smiles. Happy Birthday Vale!"

COLIN EDWARDS (TEAM-MATE 2005/06/07 AND NOW TECH 3 YAMAHA RIDER)
"I have a few fond memories of Vale starting from 2000. Our 2002 victory at the Suzuka 8-Hour was something special, but I'd have to say my one memory that stands out is Laguna 2005. Basically, we were both healthy and fighting for every inch. I did have a slight advantage knowing the track since 1992. As I can recall, it was the first time we were together on track racing close; as most would confirm, he was usually ten seconds in front of me leading by this point in the race! Then he mounted a charge on the last two laps that came up just short...I was happy we didn't have one more lap! Haha!!!! It's not really a memory that I beat him, it's more of a memory of racing side by side with what I consider "The Goat", which translates as The Greatest Of All Time. Happy birthday, you old man!"

CARMELO EZPELETA (CEO, DORNA SPORTS)
"My favourite "Valentino moment" is remembering the unique human quality that he showed after his battle with Nicky Hayden for the 2006 MotoGP Championship. It is very easy to behave like a champion when you win, but Rossi's attitude after losing was admirable and impressive."

LIN JARVIS (MANAGING DIRECTOR, YAMAHA MOTOR RACING)
"It's difficult to think of a single moment but I guess one of the most memorable moments was during the 2003 season when Valentino had his first meeting with the Yamaha YZR-M1. We had started our secret discussions earlier that year for a po ssible future move to Yamaha. Vale said he wanted to have a real look at the Yamaha M1 bike so we agreed to organize a secret rendezvous in the paddock at the Donington GP. To keep it secret we arranged to meet on Saturday night in the Yamaha Factory Team pit box. After midnight Vale arrived in a dark parka jacket with the hood up. He looked like a burglar coming to steal our stuff! Once inside he greeted everybody there and introduced himself and then took his time to look at Carlos Checa's M1 from every angle before asking our permission if he could sit on the bike. We were so surprised by his humility and modesty and even more surprised when he paid a complement to us by stating that it was "not so bad" after all. His attitude on that first night time meeting said a lot about the man. Since then I have seen a hundred more examples... Happy Birthday, Vale!"

JORGE LORENZO (FIAT YAMAHATEAM-MATE, 2008/09)
"I want to say Happy Birthday to my team-mate Valentino. It is great for me to be racing with a legend like him, but maybe now he's 30 he might slow down a little bit!"

MARCO MATERAZZI (INTER MILAN FOOTBALL PLAYER AND FRIEND)
"We met thanks to Inter, but we became friends thanks to motorbikes: our two great passions! Now the stadium and the circuit are occasions to be fans for one another and to try to bring good luck; you for me and I for you. But the moment in which we feel the truest friends is when we're having dinner together at my house, sitting together at the same table. There we are just Marco and Valentino, two who for many reasons see life in the same way. Today I am just like you, when you put your number on to race it is the double of me when I put mine on to play, because I have 23! For your 30th I give you ‘double' greetings. And one more special thing to remember, to succeed in keeping our ‘secre t' promise, the one which we can only tell when we've achieved it! Happy birthday Vale!"

GUIDO MEDA (ITALIAN TV COMMENTATOR AND FRIEND)
"The end of testing, the slow-down lap. Valentino sees you from the track and goes to wave at you. It's a quick movement and it seems trivial, but it's a sign, a sign of how he focuses his attention; on the bike while he needs to, on the man when he can. He separates the moments, detaches them, changes and reasons. This is why everyone always wants him as their poster boy. The Valentino I know above all defeats what is normal while the legend grows. Now he turns 30, what can I say? As before, he still has his feet on the ground. He is ruthless and very much a perfectionist. He is easy-going and always curious with his own taste for an interesting life, but he is normal. After eight titles and 97 victories, I would like to be sure that I tell the story in the right way and, although t he legend continues to grow, I can always find simple words."

STEFANIA PALMA (MOTHER)
"I have thought about what to tell you through the media for your 30th birthday... I could have dealt with sun, stars, mountains, love and happiness... but I feel it is more right to say, simply... HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

CARLO PERNAT (JOURNALIST AND FRIEND)
"How could I not love you, Valentino? The champions know exactly what they have to do, instinctively. I remember in 1997, when we were making your first TV advert. You had to endure a day with a fussy and long-winded director, who couldn't finish and had to adjourn until the next day. You left and, with your friend Uccio you called to warn that you were already home at your house, and where you were staying also the next day! Straugurissimi, Legend!"

WAYNE RAINEY (WORLD CHAMPION WITH YAMAHA 1990/91/92)
&quo t;Happy 30th birthday Valentino! I love to watch when the odds are against you, the battle is on. Your passion to win is visible and I respect that very much. 30 years old...life is just beginning for you!"

KENNY ROBERTS SENIOR (WORLD CHAMPION WITH YAMAHA 1978/79/80)
"Valentino, when I first saw you ride at the ranch in Barcelona... I thought Kevin Schwantz was tall and skinny! You were very impressive then as you are now! Good luck and Happy Birthday!"

GRAZIANO ROSSI (FATHER)
"Simply... I would like to wish him to get to 40 without growing up anymore and then after 40... let's see!"

RINO SALUCCI (FRIEND AND PRESIDENT OF OFFICIAL FAN CLUB)
"Am I asking too much if I ask for 30 more years of excitement? Well, I can live with half!

UCCIO SALUCCI (BEST FRIEND)
"I hope that for the next 30 years Vale will be as fast as he has been in the previous 30 and that he gives us more passes and excitement like we had at Laguna Seca 2008. 30 more Corkscrews, Vale!"

MARCO SIMONCELLI (250CC WORLD CHAMPION AND FRIEND)
"Happy Birthday, Bomber! Although you are now 30, try to give us as much excitement as you have given to us until you were 29! Auguri! Sic58"

GIGI SOLDANO (OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHER AND FRIEND)
"I know that every time I work with him something different will happen once again. One more time his image is in front of my lens and once again I have a different feeling and taste to be working with him. His little wrinkles, his determined gaze with his piercing eyes, which look right through you if you are not quick to change the shot. We play a game and by now he knows what expression I want before I have even asked, just like a team-mate in a match. The expressions stay in my mind as memories . This is what having Vale in front of the camera means, every time. I am always happy that I have the good fortune to work with him. Today he is posing for me with a chocolate cake to celebrate his 30th birthday. I shoot it as simply as possible; It's not necessary to have anything else to make it a unique shot. A white background is enough, and once again we relax into the ‘groove'. A song comes into my head: "When you have a sunny day in December, you can say that summer is already here! Congratulations, Vale!"

JAMES TOSELAND (TECH 3 YAMAHA RIDER)
"30 is a big milestone for a racer because, even though you're not really old as a person, you're starting to be one of the older ones in professional racing and you start to feel that you can't go on forever! I don't think it's a problem for Valentino however, he seems to still feel 25 so as long as that continues he'll be just fine! Happy Birthday and have a great party!"

YZR-M1 (Fiat Yamaha Team)

Bike No. 46 & 48

Engine

• Engine type: Liquid cooled Crossplane crankshaft inline four-cylinder, four stroke
• Maximum power: Over 200 horsepower (147 kW)
• Maximum speed: In excess of 320 km/h

Transmission

• Type: Six-speed cassette-type gearbox, with alternative gear ratios available

Chassis and running gear

• Frame type: Aluminium twin tube delta box, multi-adjustable steering geometry/wheelbase/ride height. Aluminium swingarm
• Suspension: Ohlins upside down front forks and Ohlins rear shock, all adjustable for pre-load, high and low-speed compression and rebound damping. Alternative rear suspension links available
• Front/rear wheels: Marchesini 16.5 front, 16.5 rear, available in a variety of rim widths
• Front/rear tyres: Bridgestone, 16.5 front, 16.5 rear, available as slick, intermediate, wet and hand-cut tyres
• Brakes: Brembo, two 320 mm carbon front discs, two four-piston callipers. Single 220 mm stainless steel rear disc, twin-piston calliper
• Weight: 148kg, in accordance with FIM regulations
• Fuel capacity: 21 litres, in accordance with FIM regulations

Rossi gains Monster sponsorship for 2009

MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi has been announced as the latest sportsman to associate themselves with energy drink Monster, and will ride with the company’s ‘M-claw’ logo on his helmet in 2009.

Monster have pinpointed Rossi as a means of further raising the profile of the United States’ No.1 by-volume sales energy drink on a worldwide level, and the Italian was pleased to come to an agreement with them.

“I’m happy to join up with Monster Energy and to be one of the first European sportsman testimonials for this new brand,” says Rossi. “Monster is growing all over the world and I am very excited to be joining them. I think that together we can make something special and the M-claw is going to look good on my new helmet!”

Monster Energy President Mark Hall adds: “Going Big has been our motto at Monster Energy for some time and aligning ourselves with Valentino Rossi is about as big as it gets in motorsports,” said Mark Hall, President of Monster Energy. “We feel that Valentino is one of those rare athletes that not only defines his sport, he actually transcends it.”

Rossi’s helmet designs attract attention throughout the sports media, and will now incorporate the Monster logo in addition to whatever new ideas the six-time MotoGP World Champion comes up with over the course of the year.

Jorge Lorenzo's Profile

• Bike No.: 48
• Date of Birth: May 4, 1987
• Place of Birth: Mallorca, Spain
• Nationality: Spanish
• Height: 170 cm
• Weight: 55 kg
• Marital Status: Single
• Hobbies: Music, videogames, internet
• Total Races: 111 (17 x MotoGP, 48 x 250cc, 46 x 125cc)
• Victories: 22 (1 x MotoGP, 17 x 250cc, 4 x 125cc)
• Pole Positions: 30 (4 x MotoGP, 23 x 250cc, 3 x 125cc)
• Podiums: 44 (6 x MotoGP, 29 x 250cc, 9 x 125cc)
• Wins: 2 (250cc, 2006/2007)
• First Grand Prix: Jerez, Spain, 2002 (125cc)

Background

20-year old Jorge Lorenzo joins the Fiat Yamaha Team for the 2008 season as double 250cc World Champion, having won the title for the past two years with Aprilia.

Lorenzo was born on the Balearic island of Mallorca, Spain on 4th May 1987. He began riding motorbikes at home at the tender age of three and within months of taking to two wheels was competing in his first minicross races. In 1995, aged eight, he won the Balearic title and followed that up the following year by taking the Island’s minicross, trial, minimoto and junior motocross titles.

Lorenzo graduated to road racing and national competition in 1997 and it didn’t take him long to adjust, winning the Aprilia 50cc Cup in 1998. Despite officially being too young, a special dispensation in 2000 allowed him to compete in the Spanish 125cc series at the age of 13 and he made history the following year when competing in Europe and becoming the youngest ever winner of a European 125cc race.

The precocious teenager, once again showing that age was no limit to a quick rise up the ranks of motorbike racing, made his first foray onto the world stage with Derbi at the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez in 2002, the third round of the season. He did not reach the legal age of 15 until Saturday and therefore missed the first day of practice but was unfazed by this and impressed the paddock by qualifying for the race, cementing his position in the World Championship over the course of the season as he got to grips with the circuits.

The young Mallorcan came of age the following season, winning his first 125cc Grand Prix in Rio de Janeiro and then going on to win three more races the following season, finishing fourth in 2004 and taking his podium tally to nine before making the step up the quarter-litre class and switching to Honda machinery. Six podium finishes and four pole positions in his rookie 250cc season sealed fifth in the championship and, with a move to the Aprilia factory team, 2006 was widely expected to be his defining year.

Lorenzo indeed surpassed all expectations in 2006, dominating the class with eight wins and a record-equalling ten poles, clinching his first world title convincingly. 2007 saw more of the same and an incredible nine pole positions saw him win from every single one of them, claiming his second world title at the penultimate round in Sepang. He also became the most successful 250cc Spanish rider of all time in the process.

2008 sees Lorenzo make the step up to MotoGP with Yamaha, where he will partner Valentino Rossi in the Fiat Yamaha Team. A colourful character, Lorenzo has a fondness for exuberant post-race celebrations, which make him a popular figure with the fans. His nickname 'X Fuera', is an allusion to his flamboyant outside overtaking style.


Career Highlights

2009:
Fiat Yamaha Team, MotoGP World Championship

2008:
4th, MotoGP World Championship

2007:
250cc World Champion

2006:
250cc World Champion

2005:
5th, 250cc World Championship

2004:
4th, 125cc World Championship

2003:
12th, 125cc World Championship

2002:
21st, 125cc World Championship

Valentino Rossi's Profile

• Bike No. : 46
• Team: Fiat Yamaha Team
• Date of birth: February 16, 1979
• Place of birth: Urbino, Italy
• Nationality: Italian
• Residence: London, UK
• Height: 182 cm
• Weight: 67 kg
• Marital Status: Single
• Hobbies: Soccer, radio-controlled toys
• Total Races GP starts: 210 (150 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc)
• Victories: 97 (71 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc)
• Pole Positions: 51 (41 x 500cc/MotoGP, 5 x 250cc, 5 x 125cc)
• Podiums: 151 (115 x 500cc/MotoGP, 21 x 250cc, 15 x 125cc)
• Wins: 8 (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 5 x MotoGP)
• First Race: 1991
• First Grand Prix: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc)
• First Pole: 1996

Career Highlights

2009:
Fiat Yamaha Team, MotoGP World Championship

2008:
MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPION

2007:
3rd, MotoGP World Championship

2006:
2nd, MotoGP World Championship

2005:
MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPION

2004:
MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPION

2003:
MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPION

2002:
MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPION

2001:
500 MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPION

2000:
2nd, 500 MotoGP World Championship

1999:
250 GP WORLD CHAMPION

1998:
2nd, 250 MotoGP World Championship

1997:
125 GP WORLD CHAMPION

1996:
9th, 125 MotoGP World Championship

1995:
125cc Italian Champion

1994:
125cc Italian Sports Production Champion

1993:
3rd - 125cc Italian Sports Production Championship

1992:
Regional Minimoto Champion

1991:
4th - Italian Junior Go-Kart Championship

1990:
Regional Go-Kart Championship - 9 wins

1989:
First Go-Kart Race