Motorcycling: Valentino Rossi will continue for a fourth season with Yamaha in 2007 after signing a one-year contract extension.
The five-time world champion recently confirmed he would not pursue a career in Formula One next season, pledging his immediate future to MotoGP.
Speculation had linked him with a switch to Ducati but he today confirmed he will stay with Yamaha for the first season of 800cc racing in MotoGP.
The 27-year-old, whose troubled start to this season leaves him eighth in the championship, said: "I'm very pleased to be staying with Yamaha next year.
"These past two years with Yamaha have been two of the best of my career and I am extremely happy to stay with them and with my team.
"I believe I have made the right choice and I am very excited about the challenge of a new class of racing with Yamaha next year."
Yamaha boss Lin Jarvis, speaking at Mugello in the build-up to this weekend's Italian Grand Prix, was relieved to net Rossi's signature and is now focusing on helping the Italian to a sixth consecutive title.
He said: "We are extremely happy that Valentino has chosen to continue his illustrious MotoGP career with Yamaha in 2007.
"Yamaha and Valentino have an excellent relationship and we have enjoyed great success together since our partnership was born in 2004.
"In the meantime our short-term goal is to provide him with the means to defend his MotoGP title this year.
"We are confident that Valentino can recover from an unlucky start to his title defence, starting at our team's home race in Mugello this weekend."