From a press release issued by Marlboro Yamaha:

Wednesday 17th July 2002

MARLBORO SPONSORSHIP OF YAMAHA TEAM TO END

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. has today announced that the Marlboro sponsorship of its Marlboro Yamaha Team in the MotoGP World Championship will cease at the end of 2002. Marlboro has been the primary sponsor of the team since 1999 with riders Max Biaggi and Carlos Checa. The team is wholly owned by Yamaha and is the company’s principal motorsports activity.

Commenting on the announcement, Mr. Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing B.V., the Amsterdam-based Yamaha subsidiary that oversees the non-technical side of Yamaha’s international racing activities, said: “It’s a great shame that we are parting company with Marlboro. We have had an excellent partnership and, on behalf of Yamaha, I would like to thank the Marlboro management for their support and wish them well for the future.

“Yamaha has a strong, on-going commitment to success in MotoGP. I cannot discuss our definitive plans for 2003 at this point, but we are in discussions with various sponsors and with both Max and Carlos about next year. They are two of the sport’s best riders and we are interested to retain their services. In the meantime, it goes without saying that it is business as usual for the Marlboro Yamaha Team. Our hunger for MotoGP victories remains as strong as ever. Everyone involved in our four-stroke project is working extremely hard to ensure that Yamaha has the best possible package for the remainder of 2002 and to ensure the strongest possible challenge for the 2003 World Championship.”

The 16-round MotoGP World Championship moves to the Sachsenring in eastern Germany this weekend before its traditional “summer break”. The action resumes in the Czech Republic on 25th August and the season concludes at Valencia in Spain on 3rd November. Italian Biaggi and Spaniard Checa are currently lying third and fifth respectively in the Championship on their four-stroke Yamaha YZR-M1 machines.