Monster Energy has increased its motorsport sponsorship portfolio by signing a two-year agreement with Yamaha Factory Racing, which runs the Yamaha MotoGP team.The energy drinks brand will sponsor the team, which will run world champion Jorge Lorenzo and multiple former champion Valentino Rossi in 2013, with branding appearing on both bikes and the riders' leathers.The deal with the factory Yamaha team does not affect Monster's existing title sponsorship deal with the French Tech3 team, a Yamaha customer team. A personal sponsorship agreement with Rossi is also unaffected.As part of the new deal, however, Monster Energy will become a personal sponsor of Lorenzo.

"Monster Energy is already a major partner to Yamahas top global sports activities in many domestic and international racing activities around the world in Motocross, Supercross, Endurance and Superbike disciplines," said Lin Jarvis, the managing director of Yamaha Motor Racing."They have also been the title sponsor of the Monster Energy Tech 3 Yamaha team for the past four years. The expansion to include the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Team is a logical and prestigious expansion of the programme."Jarvis added: "This completion of the programme permits Yamaha and Monster Energy to work even closer together to develop their sports marketing programmes and to develop rider talent to continue to be successful into the future in all areas of motorcycle racing."The works Yamaha team, which begins the defence of its MotoGP title in Qatar in April, remains without a title sponsor after its agreement with Italian car manufacturer Fiat concluded at the end of 2011.