"Yamaha Officially Announce Edwards Renewal"

Yamaha Motor Co Ltd is pleased to announce that it has signed a new year to deal with current Tech 3 Yamaha team rider Colin Edwards. Edwards will continue the race with the Tech 3 team, alongside British James Toseland in 2009.

The Texan has accepted the new one-year contract for the 2009 MotoGP World Championship after enjoying the best spell of his career with first-class Herve Poncharal Tech 3 Yamaha squad. The 34-year-old has already scored two podium finishes, four top five finishes and one pole position in 2008. He has been in the front row four other times and is currently difficult for a top four position in the overall world championship positions.

Next year will be Edwards' fifth season with Yamaha in MotoGP, during which time he has been one of the most consistent performers in the championship, scoring points in all but ten of its 94 MotoGP races. Eight out of ten of Edwards' career podium in MotoGP with Yamaha have been finished.

Lin Jarvis, managing director of Yamaha Motor Racing, commented: "We are excited to have been able to secure Colin as a Yamaha rider for 2009. We have been working to improve the quality of the package total Yamaha in the MotoGP class and in 2008 We achieved the best combined results so far for many years. This comes down to the fact that the Yamaha Factory Team and the Tech 3 Yamaha Team now have two excellent squads, with first-class technical partners, a great bike and four corridors first class. Colin contributing to the improved performance in the Tech 3 team has been very important for the team and for all scores of factory. Colin has also played an important role in the pre-season bike development for the year 2008 and we are very happy to have retained their ability and experience to the 2009 campaign. I hope Colin can celebrate this new contract this weekend with a better result here in front of his home fans at Laguna Seca! "