FIRST PICS: Yamaha Motor Italia turns red.

The Yamaha Motor Italia World Superbike Team will turn from blue to red in 2006, after signing a three-year sponsorship agreement with Santander Consumer Bank Italy.

The deal will see the factory YZF-R1 machines of Noriyuki Haga and Andrew Pitt run in the red and white corporate colours of the financial giant.

"We're pleased to have secured a three-year partnership with Santander Consumer Bank," said Laurens Klein Koerkamp, head of Yamaha Motor Europe's racing division. "It is a very positive development that such a leading financial company values the marketing potential of motorcycle racing, and following their existing relationship with Yamaha Motor Italia this partnership is a perfect fit for us and a valuable new contribution to World Superbike racing as a whole.

"Superbike is all about racing production machines which can be bought in our dealerships and this sponsor also has a strong presence in Yamaha's Italian dealerships providing financial services to our customers. I am sure it will be a very fruitful relationship giving our team the opportunity to further improve its competiveness, while Santander will surely raise their public profile in and outside the motorcycle population," he added.

The opening round of the 2006 World Superbike championship will take place at Losail, in Qatar, on February 25.