The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team is Yamaha's wholly-owned full-Factory Team in MotoGP. The team was founded in 1999 following the retirement of Wayne Rainey, who had run a Factory-supported team in the 500cc class for the previous two years. A new company - Yamaha Motor Racing - was set up in the Netherlands to manage all but the technical side of Yamaha's international racing activities and to run the team.
In 2005 Yamaha Motor Racing as a company completed the move from the Netherlands in order to create a single Yamaha MotoGP European operation in Italy, strengthening and centralising the management of the team and all MotoGP operations. Although responsibility for the technical aspects of MotoGP remains predominantly at Yamaha's Technology Development Division in Japan, a number of Japanese engineering staff complete the European MotoGP setup.
The team is based in Gerno di Lesmo, close to Monza, as are the logistics and the engine management sectors. This facility was re-built during 2008 and a new, state-of-the-art facility was opened giving the team a superb new headquarters with all technical, logistical, managerial and communications departments under one roof.
At he beginning of 2014 Spanish telecoms giant Telefonica announced a new title sponsorship for the Yamaha team using their well-known Movistar brand. The two parties signed for an incredible five-year agreement, something unheard of in MotoGP.
Masahiko Nakajima is President of Yamaha Motor Racing and Lin Jarvis is Managing Director. Italian Yamaha veteran and former rider Massimo Meregalli stepped over from managing the Yamaha World Superbike Team to become the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team Director at the beginning of 2011.