It is no secret that Yamaha have a very high opinion of Ben Spies. Ever since their international racing arm based in Italy managed to lure Spies away from Suzuki, Spies has had full backing from Yamaha, and Spies has in turn rewarded them with a World Superbike title and the MotoGP Rookie of the Year title.
So it comes as no surprise to learn that Yamaha have agreed terms for an extra year with the Texan. The team announced today that Spies has had his contract extended to include the 2012 season as well, meaning that Yamaha's factory line up for the new 1000cc class will remain unchanged from this year, Spies lined up alongside Jorge Lorenzo.
The deal allows Spies to test Yamaha's new 2012 MotoGP bike at Mugello, and introduces stability to the team during the rule changeover. Given the cardinal rule of engineering (only ever change one thing at a time), having the same rider line up eliminates one variable from the mix. All three major manufacturers now have their current two leading riders signed up for 2012, with Andrea Dovizioso at Repsol Honda the only exception.
David Brabham Gary Brabham Jack Brabham† Bill Brack Ernesto Brambilla Vittorio Brambilla Toni Branca
No comments:
Post a Comment