Yamaha confirms Gauloises split.

Yamaha has today officially confirmed that, as rumoured for much of the second half of the 2005 season, it will not race with Gauloises sponsorship during the 2006 MotoGP season.

Talk of a split emerged shortly after world champion Valentino Rossi signed a new deal to continue with Yamaha next season, which will be his third on a YZR-M1.

The Italian has been in Gauloises colours ever since leaving Repsol Honda at the end of 2003 - and clinched two world championships in the blue of the tobacco brand - but apparently insisted that he didn't want Gauloises backing for 2006.

Yamaha would have had little choice but to agree to that demand - which seems to have been made either because Rossi strongly objects to promoting smoking or, by contrast, because it would clash with Marlboro branding during Ferrari F1 tests - since losing Rossi would have been a disaster.

However, Yamaha is reported to already have had a deal in place to continue with Gauloises for 2006.

It is at this point that things get more complicated, with claims that the Gauloises deal was to back 'the factory Yamaha team' in 2006, but not specifically 'the Rossi team' - hence talk of a new one man Rossi outfit running alongside the existing factory team next year.

This would clearly be unacceptable to Gauloises, which believed that its deal meant that as long as Rossi was on a Yamaha he would be sporting their colours. Brand owner Altadis was reported to be considering legal action as a result and it remains to be seen if any form of settlement has now been reached.

Fortuna, another Altadis brand, has already left the satellite Tech 3 Yamaha team next season to become title sponsor of Gresini Honda - leaving both Yamaha teams without sponsorship, although finding companies willing to sponsor Rossi is unlikely to be difficult.

Colin Edwards will remain with Rossi at the factory Yamaha team next season, while James Ellison looks certain to ride for Tech 3 Yamaha.

Meanwhile, should Gauloises now chose to withdraw from MotoGP - rather than back a rival team - it would mark yet another sponsorship blow for the sport, which has already lost Telefonica Movistar and, potentially, Camel.

The brief statement from Yamaha regarding the Gauloises split can be seen below:

"Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. hereby announces that Altadis/Seita's sponsorship regarding Yamaha's Factory MotoGP Team will not continue after the end of the 2005 season.

"For more than 40 years, Yamaha has successfully participated in the Road Racing Grand Prix World Championship and it has become the leading manufacturer of the MotoGP competition.

"Altadis/Seita have been sponsors of the Yamaha Factory MotoGP project for the past three seasons under both the Fortuna and the Gauloises brands, during which time the companies shared two world championship victories in the MotoGP class in 2004 and 2005.

"Yamaha will announce its 2006 MotoGP program in January 2006."