The MotoGP World Championship may see the return of the classic blue and yellow livery of a Telefonica Movistar sponsored team once again in 2011. And, the latest news says that it may be the Yamaha factory team (currently in league with Fiat) which flies those colors for the long time motorcycle racing supporter.
The last time we saw them emblazoned on the side of a race bike in MotoGP was with the duo of Sete Gibernau and Marco Melandri on a satellite Honda squad in 2005. Telefonica had hoped to follow young star Dani Pedrosa from his time in the 125 and 250 GP series when he was promoted, but Pedrosa joined the Repsol Honda MotoGP team and left behind his chief sponsor. Of course, that’s just the nature of the racing business.
The return has become a possibility due to Valentino Rossi’s departure from Fiat Yamaha to ride on a Marlboro liveried Ducati Desmosedici. Once Rossi is no longer part of the Yamaha factory team, his Fiat sponsorship goes with him, and that leaves a void on the YZR-M1 fairings which needs to be filled – not to mention the much needed funding. With Spanish star Jorge Lorenzo now poised to take the 2010 MotoGP Championship on his Yamaha M1, the Spain-based Telefonica Movistar seems a perfect match to sponsor the increasingly popular rider.
The 2011 Yamaha factory MotoGP team will consist of Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies, and they may be clad in Telefonica Movistar blue and yellow…
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