FIAT on Yamaha race bikes

[Neil Lewis]

While channel hopping at lunchtime today I caught a bit of the Moto GP.  I couldn't help noticing that the Yamaha bikes had FIAT in big letters above the smaller Yamaha names.  Does anyone know why FIAT are sponsoring a Japanese motorbike manufacturer?

Neil

[ncundy]

Fiat sponsor Valantino Rossi, the fact he rides Yamaha is pretty incidental. If he moves I guess the sponsorship will move as well.

[fay66]

thanks Neil.
I thought that was perhaps the reason.
Brian
8227

[Neil Lewis]

OK that makes sense.  But I just wondered that, since Ford once had a relationship with Yamaha (1.25 Fiesta engine) whether FIAT had something similar.   Afterall it does seem odd that a car company should sponsor a motorbike.

Neil

[eyore]

Fiat sponsor Yamaha not  only Valentino Rossi. The team is Fiat Yamaha. His teammate Jorge Lorenzo is also on a Fiat Yamaha. Moto GP is an awsome sport and makes F1 car racing look like childrens pedal cars The sport gets huge TV coverage and circuit attendaces and I assume Fiat get a good return from the younger age profile of the fans.

[Kevin MacBride]

While I agree that motor cycle racing is exciting to watch, mostly because of the amount of overtaking, plus you can see the rider 'at work'. Last years Moto GP at Laguna Seca was a classic for example. I have to disagree that F1 is easy, I was at Monaco last weekend, and walked the circuit, and to drive a car, any car, never mind one with 800 odd bhp, around those streets, takes a skill beyond most. Hats off to both forms of racing...

[eyore]

I wasn't really casting aspersions on the F1 drivers ability Kevin,more a comment of the racing from a spectator perspective where the bike racing is far more seat of the pants,amazingly fast with lots of overtaking and generally  mistakes end up in the rider going down and out.
Incidentally Danny Pedrosa was officially clocked in practice for last weekends Italian GP at 217mph on his 800cc Honda.Awsome or what

[Jai Sharma]

...until Pedrosa fell off!

Seriously, I love to watch moto GP on telly. Laguna Seca last year was the most bare knuckle racing I have seen on screen since Villeneuve v Arnoux at Dijon (30 years before - eeek!). No doubt about the skill of F1 drivers, and the show is better this year to my eyes, but Moto GP usually has a lot of excitement, and Rossi has a superstar quality in my opinion.