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Friday, 18 November 2005 |
Yamaha Motor France will enter the 2006 Superbike World Championship with a three-rider line-up that sees former Japanese 250cc champion Shinichi Nakatomi join the team's 2005 riders Norick Abe and Sebastien Gimbert.
Twenty-seven-year-old Nakatomi is an experienced R1 pilot, having ridden for Yamaha's YSP Racing Team in the Suzuka Eight-hour and Japanese JSB1000 championship since switching to four-strokes in 2003. Having never raced outside his native Japan, Nakatomi is looking forward to the adventure of racing in the world championships, experiencing the western culture and racing the YZF-R1 at
world level.
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Wednesday, 16 November 2005 |
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Yamaha Motor Italia riders Noriyuki Haga and Andrew Pitt were on track yesterday at a two day test at Valencia circuit, arranged by championship tyre supplier Pirelli for its official development teams.
Running time was limited after Monday's action was washed out due to heavy rain. Pitt was one of only four riders to brave the conditions, completing just a handful of laps on the slippery surface.
Day two saw the arrival of sunshine but the track failed to dry out in the morning, leaving just three hours of dry running. Both riders ran their R1s in virtually the same specification they finished the 2005 season with, the main evolutions being updated Ohlins suspension, which was tested for the first time, and some new specification tyres from Pirelli.
Despite the limited running time, both riders were comfortably faster than their times from April's race. Haga concluded the test with the fourth fastest time of the 12 riders present, a 1'36"6, while Pitt was seventh fastest with a 1'37"2. Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati) was fastest overall with a 1'35.7.
Team Coordinator Massimo Meregalli commented: "The bad weather reduced the time available and we were only able to get through a small amount of the work we'd planned. However it went well and this test has given us the opportunity to work with three new team members and for them to become familiar with our working practices. Next we have a test in Qatar early next month where we hope to have more track time. We ended the 2005 championship growing in confidence and for 2006 our intention is to be one of the main challengers for the championship title." |
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Tuesday, 08 November 2005 |
David Frétigné (Yamaha WR450F - Yamaha Moto France Ipone) confirmed his
ambitions for the legendary Dakar rally raid by claiming his fourth consecutive
win in the Shamrock rally, that took place in the Marroccan Sahara from the 28th
of October to the 6th of November.
After his season competing in national and international enduro races, 'the
Shamrock' marked Frétigné's traditional switch to rally-raid. The likeable
Frenchman quickly adapted to the terrain and his bike. Frétigné, 35, took five
day wins at the eighth edition of the Shamrock and added his fourth overall
victory to his already impressive tally. David showed great speed in both fast
and technical stages, making the best of his past experience in Marocco. However
the main goal of the race was to let Frétigné and his team get used to his new
WR450F and prepare for the Dakar. |
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Tuesday, 08 November 2005 |
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Noriyuki Haga and Andrew Pitt will race for the Yamaha Motor Italia squad
in the 2006 Superbike World Championship, fulfilling the team's desire to
retain the services of both its riders from the 2005 campaign.
Both men played an important role in developing Yamaha's YZF-R1 in its
first year of world superbike competition with Japanese ace Haga recording
10 podium finishes, including two wins, on his way to third place in the
championship.
Australian Pitt ended the year eighth in the standings with a best result
of fourth in the opening race of the season in Qatar. |
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