The company's logo will appear on the front of the two riders' bikes as well as on the leathers of Stoner and Hayden, both former world champions. In addition, Generali will take up significant trackside advertising space at a number of MotoGP circuits.

"We are proud of this important partnership with Generali," said Gabriele Del Torchio, Ducati Motor Holding chief executive. "This is an agreement which confirms the great value which can be brought worldwide by the cooperation between two outstanding Italian brands, who will actively promote the motto 'Made in Italy' all over the world. We hope this will be the beginning of a long and fruitful cooperation, confirming once again the credibility and highly professional skills of our technicians and employees."

Giovanni Perissinotto, Generali chief executive, added: "The MotoGP World Championship is an ideal sponsorship context which perfectly matches with the international scope of the Generali Group. This agreement brings together two major Italian companies which, over the years, have been demonstrating a strong capacity for innovation that made them successful international players."

Contract summary
Length of contract: 3 years
Annualized value: US$2.5 million
Overall value: US$7.5 million