Multiple MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi has struck a massive personal sponsorship deal with Monster energy drinks, reported to be worth €2.5m.

Under the terms of the deal, he will also earn an extra €500,000 if he wins the 2009 MotoGP World Championship. And this is bad news for Monster's incumbent racer John Hopkins, who will either have to take a major pay cut from them, or will have been binned altogether.

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