MotoGP: Yamaha Racing bring back Valentino Rossi as brand ambassador

Yamaha Motor Co Ltd have announced the signing of a multi-year partnership deal with nine-time MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi, with the latter returning to the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer as a brand ambassador. 

The Italian legend changed the fortunes of a struggling factory Yamaha team and registered four premier-class World Championships during his two stints with them. He won all four of his Championships during his first stint with Yamaha: from 2004 to 2009. He came close on multiple occasions during his second stint—from 2013 to 2021—as well, but that tenth World Title kept eluding him. 

During his time with the factory Yamaha team, Rossi claimed 56 wins and a staggering 142 podium finishes, becoming the marque’s most successful rider in Grand Prix history.

Since his retirement in 2021, Rossi has been plying his trade in a car racing campaign in the GT World Challenge Europe with WRT. He also owns the VR46 Racing Team that compete in the MotoGP premier class. 

Although Rossi’s VR46 linked up with Ducati Racing for their debut season last year, with ongoing talks of a switch to Yamaha from 2024 onwards, this recent development between Rossi and Yamaha could be the first step towards a potential tie-up between VR46 and Yamaha in the near future. 

Interestingly, Yamaha and VR46 already have a partnership in place for the current season in the form of the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team in Moto2. 

Addressing the media on Rossi becoming a Yamaha brand ambassador, Yamaha boss and Team Principal of Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP team, Lin Jarvis, said: 

“Of course, this is a great moment for Yamaha and it‘s also an emotional development for the fans, who I‘m sure miss Valentino‘s presence in MotoGP since he retired from his successful career.”

“Valentino and his M1 shared a special bond. His arrival at Yamaha was the catalyst that completely changed our MotoGP racing programme to the point that Valentino and Yamaha almost became synonymous.

“Together we achieved many wins, podiums, and four championships, and then there are also the moments behind the scenes: the hard work but also the fun parts and the shared passion for racing.

“We always considered Valentino as ’family‘, and as soon as he expressed his desire to keep using Yamaha bikes and to become a Brand Ambassador, we went to work to make it happen. We are thrilled that Valentino is now officially our ambassador.”