Konica Minolta Honda unchanged for '06.

While speculation swirls around the make-up of other teams, from rider line-up to sponsor roster, the Konica Minolta Honda team has sailed through the winter break content in the knowledge that it will remain unchanged ahead of 2006.

Managing company JiR confirmed the continuity by announcing that Konica Minolta Holdings Inc would remain as title sponsor, Honda as technical partner and Makoto Tamada as rider.

"Although one of the main policies of JiR's activity is diversification, since 2002 we have decided to develop a project dedicated to the Japanese market, well aware of the difficulties which this programme could have presented," said JiR MD Luca Montiron, "Despite this, we can say we have obtained many satisfying results on both the sporting and managerial fronts.

"The last months have underlined how, in our industry, there still isn't sufficient stability to establish a medium- or long-term programme, so we should be grateful to Konica Minolta and Honda, which have both renewed their trust in our project.

"This year, JiR will work to increase the services offered to Konica Minolta and its other partners. We are convinced that motorcycle racing will continue to grow as it has in recent seasons, and JiR wants to be ready to use this growth in the best way it can."

Technical director Giulio Bernardelle revealed that the team had, after analysing its weak points from 2005, taken on the necessary staff to ensure a more successful campaign.

"We have taken the necessary time to make those adjustments needed to develop our staff capacities and the technology at our disposal - a period of consideration and development I consider to have been really profitable," he said.

"One of the changes is in the way we'll approach winter testing. Last year, between the end of the 2004 season and the first race in Jerez de la Frontera, we covered around 9000km with Tamada, divided over eight test sessions. We were usually among the fastest in every test, only to later find some unforeseen difficulties which affected our performance from the first race.

"This year, we have decided to decrease the amount of testing in order to increase the quality. Because of this, we will start with three days at Phillip Island from 31 January. In particular, we want to test in places characterised by medium or low temperatures, where we didn't give our best in 2005. At the end of winter, we will have done only one 'hot' test, at Sepang on 14-16 February, but we are confident that this programme will serve us best at the beginning of the season, as we will have used more time to study the conditions which we'll meet in the spring in Jerez."

Tamada returns to the saddle 'invigorated' by the winter break, confident that he is heading into what could be his most successful campaign yet.

"I have had all the time necessary to recharge my batteries," he said, "I have done a lot of physical preparation, and am convinced that I can use all of the experience that I gained last year - not all of it good - to better effect in 2006. Last year was important for me and, because of that, I consider 2006 to be a positive turning point in my career. I have never stopped believing in my, and the team's, abilities, and thank Honda and Konica Minolta for their continued support."