What is one more press launch for today’s news cycle, am I right? A bit of a shakeup to the lineup, the Monster Energy Yamaha team debuted in Jakarta today, and as you would expect from the name, the energy drink company takes over as title sponsor from Movistar.
The names and faces are the same though, with Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales at the helm of the 2019 Yamaha YZR-M1 MotoGP race bike, which has a new livery on its side.
Mama B always told me not to wear black with blue, but for the Yamaha boys, that fashion faux pas seems to be excusable. Change comes in many forms too, with Viñales now sporting the #12 plate, a sign that he considers himself to be an all-new rider.
With that number and livery change comes the hope that it will change the fortunes for Viñales et al, as the Yamaha team certainly had its struggles in 2018. Will that mean better results for the 2019 MotoGP Championship season? Well, that remains to be seen.
The squad is certainly acting like there is a new vibe in the garage, calling the new livery “epic” and declaring that “beast mode on” is their new battle cry.
“The upcoming test in Sepang is very important, because it‘s the first opportunity for the team to get together to try everything Yamaha has been working on over the winter,” said an excited Valentino Rossi. “Our performance improved towards the end of last season, but we want and need to make some more big steps, so we need to get to work.”
“I‘m happy that Monster Energy is joining our team in a new role this year. They have been Yamaha‘s and my sponsor for a long time, so we know each other well, and we share the same passion for racing, which is important.”
“I‘m sincerely looking forward to the new season and to riding again, I want to get back aboard my M1! I feel as good and determined as ever, nothing changed in that area, and I believe that, with some hard work, we can improve upon last year and be back on top.”
“We are here in Jakarta to start the new season,” added Maverick Viñales. “This year‘s team presentation was very special, because there are many changes compared to last year. The most noticeable of course are the new team colours and the bike livery.”
“As soon as I saw it, I couldn‘t help but feel excited to start the new season. It will be a completely fresh start for all of us: new title sponsor, new team colours, and for me a new rider number. It all came together very nicely, so now all we have to do is get the preseason underway!”
“The winter months were a good opportunity to prepare for 2019 season. I had some time to relax and reflect, but a good part was spent training, so I‘m ready to start riding my M1 again. We ended last year‘s season stronger than we started, so it will be important to keep that momentum going as we prepare for the first race in Qatar in April.”
“Our first chance to see where we stand is at the Sepang Test in a few days‘ time. I‘m looking forward to it, because I have high expectations for this year. My motivation hasn‘t changed, and I plan on going all out this season – ’Beast Mode On‘!”
Source: Monster Yamaha
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