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Cal Crutchlow will take to the Losail International Circuit today on a YZR-M1 with a special livery. Yamaha’s iconic red and white colors were chosen to commemorate the 60th anniversary of their first Grand Prix participation and pay homage to the great Yamaha riders of the past and present.
Yamaha’s journey through the Grand Prix began in 1961, when a team of five riders, including Fumio Ito and Taneharu Nogushi, flew to Europe with the new 250cc inline-twin RD48and the 125cc single-cylinder RA41to debut in the world championship. Their first race was the French GP.
In honor of the Grand Prix’s 60 year anniversary, Yamaha will organize various activities and initiatives throughout the 2021 racing season to celebrate this significant milestone.
Hiroshi Ito, Yamaha’s general manager, commented: “We would like to express our sincere gratitude to our fans, sponsors, and suppliers for their support and the constant passion, and to the many riders and predecessors who have strived so dedicatedly for amazing achievements together during our 60 years of participation in the Road Racing World Championship.Since last year, Covid-19 infections have raged and affected the world greatly. The situation is still severe. Against this backdrop, we announced in February of this year that we will continue to participate in the World Championship for five further years, from 2022 to 2026. The WGP 60th anniversary coloured YZR-M1 means more than just a milestone and a look back at the footsteps of our forerunners. It is a sign of our determination to have a passion second to none, believe in the power of motorsports, and deliver excitement to the world. Please look forward to our challenge for the title in 2021.”
Cal Crutchlow added: "I‘m honoured to have been chosen to ride the special WGP YZR-M1 with the 60th-anniversary livery today to pay tribute to the hard work of so many Yamaha riders and employees over these last 60 years. The bike is striking! The MotoGP paddock without Yamaha is unimaginable now. They are key players thanks to the shared vision and dedication of many riders, engineers, and staff. I myself started my MotoGP career in a Yamaha satellite team. I also took part in the 50th anniversary celebrations. It's quite special that I am present for both these important milestones for Yamaha. I‘ve recently returned to Yamaha as a test rider after 7 years away, and I am really enjoying the experience. Yamaha‘s passion for motorsports is as fierce as ever and that‘s really motivating.”
