The factory Yamaha MotoGP bikes have undergone a number of livery changes since Fiat became the title sponsor last year. Here Valentino Rossi celebrates the arrival of the Fiat 500 during the 2007 Dutch Grand Prix at Assen.

Valentino Rossi’s Fiat Yamaha Team bike will carry a one-off livery for the Grand Prix of Catalunya this weekend in celebration of the European Football Championships, which begin on Sunday.

The championship leader’s bike has been specially painted in the style of the shirts of the Italian national team, the ‘Azzurri’, ahead of their opening game against Holland on Monday. Rossi will also wear leathers designed in the same vein and even his famous number 46 has undergone a change for the weekend.

The factory Yamaha MotoGP bikes have undergone a number of livery changes since Fiat Group Automobiles became the title sponsor of the team at the beginning of last year, changes which were part of the sponsorship agreement. Valentino Rossi and then team mate Colin Edwards celebrated the arrival of the Fiat 500 during the Dutch Grand Prix at Assen, held at the end of June 2007. American rider Edwards' nickname 'the Texan Tornado' was also honoured last year with a special colour scheme which he carried during the United States Grand Prix a month later. In October last year the Fiat Yamaha Team bikes were decked out in the famous red-and-white colours of the newly re-launched Abarth brand for the Australian MotoGP Grand Prix at Phillip Island.

The Fiat Yamaha Team rider will run the livery from the first practice session on Friday, and it will be officially unveiled at 0950 tomorrow morning (6th June) in pit lane at the Montmelo circuit, Catalunya.