Rossi and Lorenzo unveil the 2016 Yamaha YZR-M1

Team Movistar Yamaha has officially unveiled the Yamaha YZR-M1 race bike for their 2016 MotoGP campaign. The motorcycle was unveiled by Yamaha factory riders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi at the team’s title sponsor Movistar’s headquarters in Barcelona, Spain.

For the 2016 YZR-M1, Yamaha has brought in a completely new electronics package and new single ECU software. The 2016 season will also see a switch in tyre supplier, with 16.5-inch Bridgestones making way for 17-inch Michelins. The fuel tank is now mounted under the seat to optimise the weight distribution. While Honda and Ducati have already tested the new Michelin tyres and control ECU together at Valencia and Misano last year, the Yamaha YZR-M1 will make its debut at the Sepang test on February 1. The livery of the race bike continues in blue and black with a huge Movistar M on the side of the fairing.

In 2016, Team Movistar Yamaha will attempt to replicate the previous season’s performance, where the team scored the rider’s, manufacturer’s as well as the team’s championship. Speaking about their expectations from the 2016 season, Lin Jarvis, MD, Yamaha Racing said, "The reality is that you start every season with zero points. But we have a lot of expectation because we know how good our riders are, and the potential of our engineers, so we plan to do the same thing again – we really want a sixth Triple Crown. It's going to be tough, but it's going to be super interesting."