Yamaha announced that they have signed a two-year extension to their contract with the Tech 3 Team in MotoGP.

Yamaha, which has supplied bikes and factory support to the French team since 1999, will continue to do so throughout the 2009 and 2010 seasons.

The Tech 3 Yamaha Team, which is headed by Team Principal Hervé Poncharal, is currently enjoying a successful start to the MotoGP season, with American Colin Edwards and Briton James Toseland having achieved three front-row starts and three top-ten finishes between them in the first two races.

"We are delighted that we are going to be continuing our relationship with the Tech 3 Team and with Hervé Poncharal,” said Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing. “Our partnership is long-standing and we are very pleased with the signiicant improvements this year by the Tech 3 Yamaha Team both on and off the track. Yamaha believes in long-term relations with all of its partners and despite some difficulties in the past two years we have stuck together, made new plans and both Tech 3 and Yamaha are now seeing the fruits of our respective labours.

“Tech 3 play an important part in our MotoGP program. They have a great package this year and their early season results with Colin and James have been very encouraging. It has always been our strong intention to have four competitive bikes on the grid and we are now in that position.

“It is therefore only logical to make the commitment to stay together and we believe that this early decision will give Tech 3 the confidence to invest in the future.”