Yamaha has reportedly signed energy drink maker Monster Energy to sponsor its factory MotoGP team, according to Spanish site MotoCuatro.com. The new sponsorship deal created a bit of a problem however, as Yamaha‘s star rider Jorge Lorenzo recently signed a two-year contact extension to his personal sponsorship deal with RockStar, a rival energy drink maker.

To get around this sticky situation, MotoCuatro reports Yamaha will invoke a clause in Lorenzo’s contract allowing the manufacturer to veto and buy out his RockStar contract.

The two energy drinks managed to co-exist within the Yamaha garage this past season. Along with RockStar’s sponsorship of Lorenzo, Monster Energy had a sponsorship agreement with his teammate Ben Spies. The difference next season however is Spies’ replacement, Valentino Rossi. Continue Reading »