‘Motorsports Department’ to replace Yokohama Rubber’s motorsport subsidiary

The Yokohama Rubber subsidiary dedicated to motorsports activities will be dissolved on 30 June, the tyre maker announced today. The operations currently handled by Yokohama Motorsports International Co., Ltd. will be transferred to a new internal Motorsports Department that will be established on 1 May.

Yokohama Motorsports International is a 100 per cent owned subsidiary headed by Yoshiaki Abe. It was established on 1 April 2013 to promote and supervise Yokohama’s motorsports activities, including the development and supply of tires for motor racing competitions. Since its establishment, the subsidiary has supplied Yokohama tyres to numerous competitions, including control tyres to the
Japanese Super Formula Championship series, GT Asia, the Sepang 12 Hours endurance race, the All-Japan Formula 3 Championship Series, and the FIA World Touring Car Championship.

The tyre maker intends to further expand and broaden its motorsports activities around the world, and it therefore decided that an internal organisation would be better able to effectively supervise and coordinate these activities than a subsidiary.              _sg