Tech 3 keeps Yamaha support

Posted by Dono

Saturday, 12th April 2008

Yamaha has signed a two-year extension to its current contract with the Tech 3 MotoGP team.

Yamaha, which has supplied bikes and factory support to the French team since 1999, will thus continue to do so throughout the 2009 and 2010 MotoGP seasons.

After two often tough seasons running Dunlop tyres, Tech 3 - headed by team principal Hervé Poncharal - has enjoyed a successful start to 2008, with Colin Edwards and James Toseland achieving three front-row starts and three top-ten finishes between them in the first two races.

The new Yamaha deal was announced as Tech 3 also confirmed that it had reached an early agreement to retain Toseland for the 2009 season (see separate story).

"I am delighted that Tech 3 has been able to extend our long partnership with Yamaha until the end of the 2010 season," said Poncharal. "We can look ahead to a future that looks brighter than ever before. This new contract gives us the stability to strive towards a goal we have always shared with Yamaha, and that is to win races. I would like to thank Yamaha management, my team, and of course our riders."

"We are delighted that we are going to be continuing our relationship with the Tech 3 Team and with Hervé Poncharal," stated Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing. "Our partnership is long-standing and we are very pleased with the significant improvements this year by the Tech 3 Yamaha Team both on and off the track.

"Yamaha believes in long-term relations with all of its partners and despite some difficulties in the past two years we have stuck together, made new plans and both Tech 3 and Yamaha are now seeing the fruits of our respective labours.

"Tech 3 play an important part in our MotoGP program. They have a great package this year and their early season results with Colin and James have been very encouraging. It has always been our strong intention to have four competitive bikes on the grid and we are now in that position.

"It is therefore only logical to make the commitment to stay together and we believe that this early decision will give Tech 3 the confidence to invest in the future," Jarvis added.

The identity of the second 2009 Tech 3 Yamaha rider is unknown, with Edwards believed to have a one-year deal.

From : www.crash.net

• at 11:24 AM