Photo: Valentino Rossi VR46 Official Facebook page
Valentino Rossi may have lost the 2015 MotoGP crown in ambiguous conditions, but he surely is a winner in other aspects of his life. His main company, VR46 Racing Apparel, has just signed a three-year contract with Yamaha Factory Racing and has thus become the manufacturer of official Yamaha merchandise.
In case the VR46 Racing Apparel sounds entirely new to you, we'll tell you that the Doctor is not only one of the biggest and most successful motorcycle racers in the world but also a successful and smart businessman. And he also owns a restaurant, but it's the apparel business that weighs heavily in his accounts.
Funny thing, Rossi, through his company, manufactured official merchandise for many MotoGP riders among which we must name Dani Pedrosa, Marc Marquez, Cal Crutchlow, Scott Redding, and even more names in other sports.
After the Sepang incident at the end of the 2015 MotoGP, Rossi lost Marc Marquez as a customer, but it looks like what he gained is a much more valuable contract.
VR46 Racin Apparel CEO and Rossi's right hand in the company Alberto Tebaldi is not hiding his enthusiasm. "We are delighted about the partnership with Yamaha Factory Racing, and I hope this is just the beginning of an even larger project with our partner. The passion and dedication are some of the values that the two companies have in common. This agreement is an important recognition for us, no doubt a confirmation of the work we do every day," he says.
Yamaha Racing's Lin Jarvis also seems happy with the new deal: "We are pleased to have signed a new agreement with one of the most important merchandisers in the motorsport market. The professionalism and experience of VR46 Racing Apparel give us the certainty that this will be a successful partnership in the long term. Licensing is an important revenue stream for any professional sports team at a global level, and Yamaha Factory Racing is pleased to launch our new range of products for the millions of fans who follow us around the world."
Regardless of whether Rossi will retire or not at the end of 2016, it's clear that Yamaha sees in him one of the biggest assets Iwata had in the last decades.
Funny thing, Rossi, through his company, manufactured official merchandise for many MotoGP riders among which we must name Dani Pedrosa, Marc Marquez, Cal Crutchlow, Scott Redding, and even more names in other sports.
After the Sepang incident at the end of the 2015 MotoGP, Rossi lost Marc Marquez as a customer, but it looks like what he gained is a much more valuable contract.
Rossi will manufacture all official merchandise for all the Yamaha Factory Racing teams, Marc Marquez no longer a client
Rossi will manufacture and help design merchandise and accessories under the Yamaha Factory Racing badge, and this extends beyond the MotoGP championship. In fact, Yamaha entrusts its entire Factory Racing-related merch/apparel business to VR46 Racing Apparel, and this means big business.VR46 Racin Apparel CEO and Rossi's right hand in the company Alberto Tebaldi is not hiding his enthusiasm. "We are delighted about the partnership with Yamaha Factory Racing, and I hope this is just the beginning of an even larger project with our partner. The passion and dedication are some of the values that the two companies have in common. This agreement is an important recognition for us, no doubt a confirmation of the work we do every day," he says.
Yamaha Racing's Lin Jarvis also seems happy with the new deal: "We are pleased to have signed a new agreement with one of the most important merchandisers in the motorsport market. The professionalism and experience of VR46 Racing Apparel give us the certainty that this will be a successful partnership in the long term. Licensing is an important revenue stream for any professional sports team at a global level, and Yamaha Factory Racing is pleased to launch our new range of products for the millions of fans who follow us around the world."
Regardless of whether Rossi will retire or not at the end of 2016, it's clear that Yamaha sees in him one of the biggest assets Iwata had in the last decades.
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