Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Unveil 2014 Livery
Riding the 2014 YZR-M1 up the Losail start-finish straight
in front of the world’s key motorcycle media, the riders displayed the team’s
new livery, featuring of course the logo of new title sponsors Movistar.
Lorenzo and Rossi were joined at the presentation by Kouichi
Tsuji, General Manager of Yamaha Motor Co.'s Motorsports Division, Yamaha Motor
Racing’s Managing Director Lin Jarvis and Telefónica Spain’s Director of Media,
Luis Velo to reveal the new livery.
Now the wait is over and the riders will take to the track
under the floodlights in just over 24 hours to begin practice for round one of
the 2014 MotoGP World Championship, the Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar.
"Finally we can start the engines!" enthused
Lorenzo. "The forthcoming championship is about to kick off and that
sounds great after a long winter. As we were able to improve our performance at
Phillip Island with the new tyres I feel quite confident for the very first
race. I undertook three surgeries during the wintertime to take out some plates
and metal pieces from the collarbone and the hand so I returned to full fitness
quite late. In general I feel nearly at 100% and I guess in Qatar we won’t have
any problems to push to the maximum."
"I’m really looking forward to tomorrow, following the
unveiling of the new Movistar Yamaha MotoGP livery. I love the new bike and the
new colours. Posing with the new bike today has been the best incentive to
kick-off the season!
Rossi added, "I’m so happy because we are finally here
at the start of the first race weekend of the year. We have worked very hard in
the testing to make some of my issues from last year better and we have found
some really good speed. I have been able to be very competitive and been with
the fastest riders during testing. I’m very happy with the work done to my M1
over the winter that has helped me to be fast; we have a competitive bike to
fight for the podium this weekend.
"When I received the news of the arrival of Movistar, I
was very happy. It is a great thing to start the year with such a fantastic
sponsorship announcement. We must all be very happy for that. Yamaha are very
excited, and I am as well. I hope that Movistar will enjoy the journey with us
this year and bring luck and podiums! Surely it is a greater incentive to do
even better."
