Valentino Rossi has signed a two-year contract to ride for Ducati next season.
The reigning MotoGP world champion will part company with Fiat Yamaha at the end of the current campaign, bringing to an end his hugely successful seven-season association with the team.
A Ducati statement read: ‘The arrival of Valentino in Ducati opens a new and exciting chapter in the Italian factory's sporting history and, indeed, of the whole MotoGP Championship.’
Rossi has won four MotoGP world titles with Japanese manufacturer Yamaha since joining the factory squad from Honda in 2004, and the 31-year-old admitted leaving the team had brought a special relationship to a close.
‘It is very difficult to explain in just a few words what my relationship with Yamaha has been in these past seven years,’ said Rossi.
‘Many things have changed since that far-off time in 2004, but especially "she", my M1, has changed. At that time she was a poor middle-grid position MotoGP bike, derided by most of the riders and the MotoGP workers. Now, after having helped her to grow and improve, you can see her smiling in her garage, courted and admired, treated as the "top of the class".
‘Now the moment has come to look for new challenges; my work here at Yamaha is finished.
‘Unfortunately even the most beautiful love stories finish, but they leave a lot of wonderful memories, like when my M1 and I kissed for the first time on the grass at Welkom, when she looked straight in my eyes and told me 'I love you!’'
‘We are delighted to announce that Valentino Rossi will be with us from 2011,’ said Gabriele Del Torchio, president of Ducati Motor Holding.
‘He is a paragon of excellence in the world of motorcycling.’
Filippo Preziosi, Ducati Corse general director, added: ‘Firstly, Valentino is a great fan of motorcycles and so it has always been a pleasure for me to listen to his opinions.
‘Until the Valencia GP he will remain a competitor, one so great that he has always given a special value to our victories, but as soon as he rides the Ducati for the first time we will work together on every single detail that will develop a bike capable of showing his huge talent.
‘Working with Valentino is one of the most exciting things for every engineer, and it's good to know we will have this great opportunity next season.’
Lin Jarvis, managing director of Yamaha Motor Racing, paid tribute to the departing rider.
He said: ‘On behalf of the Yamaha Motor Group, I would like to express our sincere gratitude for the amazing seven years that we have spent together.
‘There have been so many wonderful experiences and victories and we are very proud to have been able to make history together. Whilst we regret Vale's decision to move on, at the same time we fully respect his decision to search for a new challenge and we wish him the very best for 2011 and beyond.’
Yamaha are expected to draft in American Ben Spies as Rossi's replacement in the factory squad.
Spies' place in the satellite Tech 3 Yamaha team is likely to taken by Britain's Cal Crutchlow, who currently rides for the Japanese manufacturer in World Superbikes.
