Yamaha Motor Europe has announced a new era for the FIM Yamaha BLU CRU World Cup, with the series stepping up to the proven Yamaha R7 platform for the 2027 season.

Launched in 2021 as the Yamaha R3 BLU CRU Cup and awarded FIM World Cup status in 2024, the series will make the move to the R7 in 2027 following six successful seasons on the R3 platform.

Part of Yamaha’s award-winning BLU CRU programme, the FIM Yamaha R7 BLU CRU World Cup is a collaboration between Yamaha, the FIM and the Dorna WorldSBK Organisation, with event management provided by JiR. Designed to provide talented young riders with a clear, fully supported pathway to the world stage, the road-racing series will comprise 12 races across six European rounds of the 2027 FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) and will be open to riders aged 15 years and above.

Yamaha’s BLU CRU programme provides a professional environment in which the racing stars of tomorrow can be identified, supported and developed through the expertise of Yamaha Racing. More than 1,000 young riders benefited from BLU CRU initiatives in 2026, underlining the programme’s position as one of motorcycle racing’s leading talent-development systems.

In road racing, the BLU CRU pathway extends to the highest levels of the sport through the BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 Team, with Izan Guevara currently challenging for the 2026 FIM Moto2 Grand Prix World Championship title. Aldi Satya Mahendra offers another compelling example of the opportunities the programme creates. After finishing runner-up on his R3 BLU CRU debut in 2023, the Indonesian rider progressed to world championship competition, becoming the first Indonesian road-racing motorcycle world champion in 2024. He continued his development with Yamaha and, in 2026, became the first Indonesian rider to secure a WorldSSP podium.

Mahendra’s journey reflects the growing international reach of the FIM Yamaha BLU CRU World Cup. The 2026 grid featured more than 19 full-time riders representing over 10 countries, including Brazil, the Dominican Republic and the United States, while Riichi Takahira became the series’ first Japanese champion. The inaugural FIM Sportbike World Championship in 2026 saw ten former R3 World Cup riders line-up on the grid, including 2025 champion Alessandro di Persio. 

From 2027, competitors will race the latest Yamaha R7, introduced for 2026 and powered by Yamaha’s renowned 689cc CP2 engine. The new-generation machine has already demonstrated its performance on track, securing multiple podium finishes and two victories in the new FIM Sportbike World Championship with Carter Thompson.

The 2027 campaign will begin with a pre-season test at Cremona on 7–8 April, ahead of the opening round at the iconic TT Circuit Assen. The full calendar is listed below.

Registration will open shortly, with prospective competitors invited to enquire using the contact details below. To keep the series as accessible as possible for aspiring young riders, the full-season package is priced at €29,000. It includes the use of a race-prepared Yamaha R7, as well as leathers,, tyres, fuel and race entry fees.

2027 FIM Yamaha R7 BLU CRU World Cup Calendar

Pre-season test: 6–8 April – Cremona, Italy

Round 1: 16–18 April – TT Circuit Assen, The Netherlands

Round 2: 21–23 May – MotorLand Aragón, Spain

Round 3: 4–6 June – Autodrom Most, Czech Republic

Round 4: 9–11 July – Donington Park, Great Britain

Round 5: 3–5 September – Magny-Cours, France

Round 6: 24–26 September – Cremona, Italy

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler has been crowned the 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Champion. Mani delivered a strong runner-up performance at the final round of the series, Hixpania Hard Enduro, in Spain. The German secured not only his sixth world championship title, but his fifth consecutive Hard Enduro World Championship crown.

Lettenbichler began the weekend with fifth place in Friday’s SuperEncierro race, a result that was enough to decide the championship and secure the world title ahead of the final two days of the season. The KTM 300 EXC racer then continued his strong form in Saturday’s Campoo Xtreme race, fighting at the front to finish second, just 3.5 seconds behind the winner after more than an hour of racing.

Sunday’s Lost Road main race saw Lettenbichler battle closely with home favorite Mario Román (Husqvarna) throughout the demanding event. Pushing hard from start to finish, the KTM rider ultimately crossed the line in second place, rounding out his weekend with another podium and further underlining his consistency across the 2026 season.

The Hixpania result capped off another exceptional campaign for Lettenbichler, who claimed his fifth consecutive FIM Hard Enduro World Championship title. With multiple victories throughout the season, including wins at Alestrem, Extreme XL Lagares, Forza Orza, Abestone Hard Enduro and Sea to Sky, the German once again demonstrated his speed and consistency across a demanding championship calendar.

Manuel Lettenbichler: “Honestly, it feels surreal to be world champion again. To secure the 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship is an incredible feeling, and I’m super stoked to have clinched my sixth world title and fifth consecutive championship. I didn’t expect to get it done on Friday, as I thought it would come down to the final race, so it was a really nice surprise. It was the last race of the season, and we finished second today after an awesome battle with Mario Román. He was riding unbelievably well, so congratulations to him. I’m really happy with my riding, I gave it everything I had and pushed hard until the end. The fans were amazing, too, and the atmosphere was incredible. Hixpania definitely delivered this year, and it was a great way to finish the season.”
Fabio Farioli – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “We’re really happy to secure another world title with Mani. Congratulations to him, the whole team, and everyone at KTM. This championship is the result of a huge amount of hard work and commitment from everyone involved. We’re constantly working to give our riders the best possible package, so it’s great to see that effort rewarded with another title. Mani has ridden a really smart championship this year. Even when a win wasn’t possible, he focused on scoring as many points as he could and making the most of every opportunity. That consistency has paid off, and he’s shown once again what it takes to become world champion. We’re incredibly proud of him and the entire team.”

Riichi Takahira made history at Circuito Estoril today, becoming the first Japanese rider to be crowned FIM Yamaha R3 BLU CRU World Cup Champion after a dramatic season finale.

Just four points separated Takahira from title rival Xarly Mendez (Dominican Republic) heading into the finale. Saturday’s winner, Aymon Bocanegra (Brazil), also remained in contention if both leading riders failed to finish.

Mendez had led the championship for much of the season before Takahira took the lead at the previous round in Cremona. After finishing sixth on Saturday, Mendez began the final race four points adrift of his rival. However, his title hopes ended three laps in when he crashed at Turn 7. He rejoined and completed the race, but finished outside the points.

Takahira’s debut season began modestly at Balaton Park, where he recorded two seventh-place finishes. He soon reached the podium, finishing second in Round 2 at Aragón, before igniting his title challenge with a commanding double victory at Magny-Cours in Round 4. Another win at Cremona moved him into the championship lead ahead of the final round. Fourth place in Race 1 and seventh in Race 2 at Estoril were enough to secure the 2026 FIM Yamaha R3 BLU CRU World Cup title. Attention now turns to securing him a Yamaha-supported place in the 2027 FIM Sportbike World Championship.

Despite the crash, Mendez retained second place in the championship, while Brazil’s Aymon Bocanegra moved into third overall after adding a third-place finish to Saturday’s victory.

Chris Clark (USA) won the final race of the season, with Emanuele Pastore (Italy) finishing second.

Albert Arenas has been crowned 2026 FIM Supersport World Champion after securing fourth place in Race 1 at Circuito Estoril, as Yamaha celebrates a record 12th manufacturers’ title in the class.  

The AS BLU CRU Racing rider built an unassailable championship lead during a faultless debut campaign, having moved to WorldSSP from the Moto2 Grand Prix World Championship. The Spaniard has stood on the podium at every complete event to date in 2026, with a total of three victories and 16 podiums. 

Despite limited winter testing and the AS BLU CRU Racing team being new to the R9 for 2026, Arenas hit the ground running in Australia earlier this year, winning his maiden WorldSSP race in just his second race back at Phillip Island. Further wins at Balaton Park and Misano strengthened his title challenge, but it was the Spaniard’s remarkable consistency that ultimately proved decisive. His lowest finish of the season has been fifth, while he has missed the podium on just five occasions. 

Arenas’ title marks back-to-back WorldSSP Rider’s Championships for the Yamaha R9, following Stefano Manzi’s dominant 2025 campaign, and further underlines the competitiveness of Yamaha’s middleweight Supersport machine. 

Yamaha was also crowned 2026 WorldSSP Manufacturers’ Champions in Portugal, extending its record as the most successful manufacturer in the history of the championship with a 12th manufacturers’ title. Arenas’ performances played a pivotal role in securing the crown, while Can Öncü (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) and Roberto Garcia (GMT94 Yamaha) have also taken victories aboard the R9 this season. Aldi Satya Mahendra (AS BLU CRU Racing) and Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) have further added to Yamaha’s podium tally. 

The AS BLU CRU Racing Team were also able to secure the 2026 Teams’ Championship, to top off a perfect first season with Yamaha. 

Yamaha will work to conclude their successful 2026 campaign in Jerez, before work begins on the title defence during the 2027 season. 

Yamaha secured its third consecutive FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) Manufacturers’ title at the 89th Bol d’Or at Circuit Paul Ricard on Sunday, while the Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team finished third in the 24-hour season finale and fell agonisingly short of retaining its Teams’ crown by just four points.

After 24 hours and almost 4,200 kilometres of intense racing, YART crossed the line in third. With their main title rival winning the race, second place would have been enough to retain the Teams’ crown, but the result saw the reigning champions end the season as runners-up with 154 points, only four behind the champions, while Yamaha claimed its third consecutive FIM EWC Manufacturers’ title with 179 points, two points clear of its nearest rival.

YART arrived at the season finale with 112 points and a 19-point championship advantage after a campaign that included a victory at the 24 Heures Motos, second at the 8 Hours of Spa Motos, and fourth at the Suzuka 8 Hours. The five points awarded to their main title rival for pole position at the Bol d’Or, combined with YART qualifying seventh and missing out on the points awarded to the top five, reduced that advantage to 14 before the race.

The Austrian squad had endured an extraordinarily difficult build-up. Hanika was left bruised and nursing a wrist injury after a heavy multi-rider accident during Tuesday’s Private Practice before crashing on oil in the opening qualifying session. Fritz also fell during Free Practice, while Mercado was caught out by oil left on the circuit later in the same session. Four crashes across two days created a considerable workload, but the team rebuilt the #1 Bridgestone-shod R1s and made the start determined to defend its title.

Fritz took the traditional Le Mans-style running start from seventh on the grid. Mindful of the need to get through the opening exchanges safely, the German emerged from the first few corners in 16th before beginning an impressive recovery that saw him charge into third within the opening half-hour.

Fritz stayed with the front-runners and pitted from fourth at the end of the opening hour, handing the R1 to Mercado. The Argentinian maintained fourth during a composed first stint before Hanika took over later in the second hour.

The Czech rider rejoined in sixth as the pit-stop cycle unfolded and quickly joined the fight for third. Although he lost time to his rival on the Mistral Straight, Hanika made it back through the corners, broke clear and handed the R1 back to Fritz from third after two and a half hours.

YART remained firmly in the leading group throughout the opening phase, with Fritz, Mercado and Hanika maintaining a strong and consistent pace as the #1 R1 alternated between third and fourth. Different fuel strategies stretched the field through the pit-stop cycles, but the Austrian squad continued to execute its race plan cleanly and keep the title fight alive.

YART collected seven points at both the eight and 16-hour checkpoints while running fourth. Their main title rival led at both stages and received ten points each time, reducing YART’s championship advantage from 14 points to eight, but the entire team continued to deliver a clean and consistent performance throughout the night. Behind them, the Elf Marc VDS Racing Team/KM99 Yamaha was producing an excellent race and had climbed from ninth on the grid to fifth overall.

As dawn broke, Hanika demonstrated remarkable courage during one of the performances of the race. Despite the pain from his crashes earlier in the week, he refused to yield to the race leader on track during a superb stint, even though YART was two laps behind on the timing screens, before handing over to Fritz after more than 17 hours of racing.

Fritz, Mercado and Hanika continued to apply pressure and gradually reduced the gap to the podium positions. When the third-placed machine crashed during the final four hours, YART moved into the final podium position. With the eventual winner still leading, the Austrian squad needed second to retain its title and launched one final charge for the runner-up spot.

Fritz pushed relentlessly to bring the gap down to a single lap before handing over to Mercado for the final stint in the closing stages. Fittingly, the three leading machines circulated together during the final laps, but there was no late twist, and Mercado brought the R1 across the line in third after 740 laps and more than 24 hours of faultless racing.

YART scored 42 points during the race, comprising seven at both the eight and 16-hour checkpoints and 28 for third at the finish. That took the team to 154 points, with their main title rival’s maximum 65-point haul across qualifying and the race securing the title on 158. Although they narrowly missed out on a fourth world championship, YART’s podium helped Yamaha secure its third consecutive FIM EWC Manufacturers’ crown. The Austrian squad ended the year with a victory at Le Mans and three podiums from four rounds, providing a strong foundation to build on in 2027.

The Elf Marc VDS Racing Team/KM99 Yamaha also faced disappointment after an outstanding performance by Randy de Puniet, Florian Marino and Bo Bendsneyder. The #99 R1 had risen from ninth to sixth during the opening phase and continued its progress through the night to hold a superb fifth at the 16-hour mark. A technical issue during the final hours forced the bike into the garage and ended its hopes of a top-five finish. The team refused to give up, repairing the R1 in time to return to the track and take the chequered flag in 21st overall and ninth in the Formula EWC class after 668 laps.

Yamaha enjoyed a superb race in the Superstock category. The #36 3ART Best Of Bike Hamaguchi R1 finished second in class and seventh overall after completing 715 laps, while Team 18 Pompiers Igol CMS Motostore secured fourth in class and tenth overall with 712 laps. Those results gave Yamaha two of the top four places in Superstock and, together with YART’s third place and eighth overall for the #14 MACO Racing Team R1, put four Yamaha R1s inside the top ten overall.

There was even more success in the Production category, where Yamaha recorded a one-two finish. The #26 Audemar Motoclub Gemenos R1 won the class and finished 22nd overall after completing 666 laps, with the #96 Legacy Competition Yamaha second in class and 23rd overall on 664 laps. Team HTC Racing added another top-five finish for the R1, taking fifth in class and 28th overall with 645 laps.

Legacy Competition’s second place, together with seven points at the eight-hour checkpoint and eight at 16 hours, earned the team 48 points from the Bol d’Or and secured the FIM Production World Trophy for Teams with a final total of 131. Those results also delivered the FIM Production World Trophy for Manufacturers for Yamaha with 180 points, completing a superb championship treble alongside the Formula EWC Manufacturers’ crown. All race and championship results in the EWC Production class remain provisional pending official confirmation. 

Franco Morbidelli is fifteenth and gets a point, while Fabio Di Giannantonio was affected from a far from ideal physical form after yesterday’s crash, and finishes the Motegi race in eighteenth place. 

The MotoGP Overseas didn’t kick off in the best way possible for the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team, which ended the Japanese GP in a bittersweet way. It was a challenging Sunday for Franco Morbidelli, who was fifteenth and got one point. Fabio Di Giannantonio had a more complicated race due to a far from ideal physical condition and crossed the finish line in eighteenth place. 

Morbidelli started from the fifth row and lost three places in the opening lap, starting to bounce back in Motegi race. Franco got more and more confidence lap by lap and was able to recover some ground. The Italian-Brazilian rider crossed the finish line of the Japanese GP in fifteenth place and got one point. Morbidelli is now sixteenth in the World Standing with 57 points. 

Di Giannantonio had a difficult start from the second row, losing five places in the opening lap. Fabio was worn out after yesterday’s crash in the Sprint and could not express his potential in Motegi race, in which he struggled to keep the pace. The rider from Rome lost ground throughout the race, but he was able to defend despite the difficulties, crossing the finish line in eighteenth place. Di Giannantonio is now sixth in the World Standing with 230 points. 

The Japanese GP ended with an attendance record of 121,997 spectators, and now the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team flies to Mandalika, where the Indonesian GP will take place next weekend: it’s the third home race for the Team after the Italian ones, and the Tavullia-based squad will reveal a surprise on Tuesday 6^th October in Jakarta. 

The 79th FIM Motocross of Nations drew a huge record crowd of 105,000 to the ‘amphitheater’ setting of the Ernee circuit in northern France where Red Bull KTM’s Lucas and Sacha Coenen contributed to Team Belgium first victory in the annual contest since 2013. Red Bull KTM also had SMX champion Jorge Prado inspiring Team Spain to 2nd place and their first ever podium result.

Ernee welcomed the Motocross of Nations for the fourth time in the past two decades; the last edition had come in 2023. The biggest and most popular offroad motorcycle race of the year was won by Team USA (2005) and Team France (2015, 2023) in previous events at the steep, hardpacked course located west of Le Mans.

Red Bull KTM had a total of five athletes representing four of the 32 entered countries at the annual fixture. SMX Champion Jorge Prado led the line for Team Spain with the KTM 450 SX-F while 2026 Grand Prix winners in MXGP and MX2, Lucas and Sacha Coenen, starred for Team Belgium.

Each nation presented three-man teams; with a rider in MXGP, MX2 and Open classes. Five of the six results posted on Sunday from three 30 minute and 2 lap motos (with the top twenty of two classes from Saturday’s Qualification Heats combined in the start gate: MXGP & MX2, MX2 & Open and MXGP and Open) counted towards the final score.

On Saturday Prado took victory in the MXGP Qualification race while Lucas Coenen was 5th in the same outing, despite a crash at the start and a damaged seat. Adamo grabbed 4th in Open as Sacha Coenen ran to 7th in MX2 after leading early on.

Sunday was hotter and breezier and Ernee was at capacity. Prado finished 1st overall in the MXGP class. He led the first moto until a small tip-off and finished 2nd in the third moto – against the Open category – the SMX champion was again 2nd for 2-2 on the day. Lucas Coenen’s first race since wildcarding at the Southwick National in July led to a productive 3rd overall. The 19-year-old ran to a lonely 3rd in the first moto and then took 5th later in the afternoon. His twin, Sacha, crashed in the first race but recovered to 12th on his KTM 250 SX-F against the bigger bikes. Coenen’s run to 7th in the second moto helped Belgium to their superior points tally. Julien Beaumer was 7th overall in MXGP and posted a 10-17 for Team USA. Adamo rode well to P2 in the second race of three on the day and was circulating inside the top ten during the final outing until a brief crash caused damage to his radiator. The Italian tried to continue but was eventually forced to retire.

The 2027 Motocross of Nations is set to take place at the TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands on October 9-10.

Jorge Prado, 1st in MXGP, Team Spain finish 2nd: “With the whole team we put Spain on the box. We have never achieved a podium and to take 2nd place is amazing. There are a lot of people behind this and a lot who have been waiting, waiting and waiting for us to be up here. We had some amazing performances today and I’m really happy I can live this with them.”

Lucas Coenen, 3rd in MXGP, Team Belgium finish 1st: “I cannot thank these guys enough. It’s unbelievable. Last week I could barely do [ride] 10 minutes but we kept working and on Tuesday I managed to do one moto. I don’t know how I did it today, especially with [Cooper] Webb on my wheel and I was nervous for the second start. A big thanks to Joel [Roelants, Team Manager] and everyone behind the scenes. This is amazing. Belgium is back on top and I love it.”

Sacha Coenen, 3rd in MX2, Team Belgium finish 1st: “It feels unreal to be up here with my brother and the whole team rode amazing today. I didn’t have the best first moto but the second was really good. I was quite happy enough. I really want to thank the whole team. It’s an incredible day.”

Tech3 KTM will field Adrian Fernandez and Kristian Daniel Jr. in the 2027 Moto3 world championship with the KTM RC4 as part of the KTM GP Academy. The Spaniard and American join racers Luca Marini and Senna Agius who will be the team’s representatives in the MotoGP class.

Fernandez returns to Tech3 as a Grand Prix winner and championship candidate for what will be the current 22-year-old’s seventh season in Moto3. Adrian steered the KTM RC4 with the crew in 2022 and has been re-signed with a view to a title tilt in 2027.

Fernandez will have a rookie alongside him. Daniel Jr., who turns 18 in February 2027, has been plying his trade in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. The Californian, who has been based in Barcelona since 2018, earned his first podium finish in the fast feeder series on KTM RC 250 R Rookies motorcycles in 2025, and came extremely close to his first win in 2026: finishing 4th in the championship standings.

Tech3 have previously helped Deniz Öncü, Ayumu Sasaki, Daniel Holgado and Valentin Perrone to maiden podium appearances and Rico Salmela to top five speed in his first campaign in the class.

The other half of 2027 Tech3 consists of 29-year-old Luca Marini, who brings almost six terms of premier class experience to the squad and 21-year-old MotoGP rookie Senna Agius. The Australian has 4 wins and 9 podiums in less than three seasons of Moto2™ competition.

Red Bull KTM helped put on a captivating show for more than 184,000 spectators at Misano for the Grand Prix of San Marino as Pedro Acosta captured 3rd position on the KTM RC16. The 14th round of MotoGP occurred in bright European summer conditions and across the grippy Italian venue on the Adriatic coast. Prosecco sprayed throughout the day for Red Bull KTM. In Moto3™ Brian Uriarte co-starred in a tense 20-lap race and was 3rd while Collin Veijer also made the rostrum as runner-up in Moto2™.

The 33rd Grand Prix event to mark the black Misano asphalt was busy, competitive and engaging. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Red Bull KTM Tech3 filled slots in P7 (Pedro Acosta), P12 (Pol Espargaro), P16 (Enea Bastianini) and P19 (Brad Binder) on the grid for the 27-lap distance.

Acosta, who was 6th in the Sprint on Saturday, made a strong start and then patiently built his rhythm to draw up to the rear wheel of Jorge Martin in 4th place. Pedro studied his rival, made a well-judged move and then shadowed leaders Marc and Alex Marquez. Acosta remained in striking distance of his countrymen and only eased off on the last lap; crossing the line 2.3 seconds from the winner.

Bastianini and Binder began their trawls through the pack with effective rate of progress. Enea rallied all the way up to 8th and was very close to nailing 7th. Brad tried a late lunge on Fabio Quartararo into Turn 4 to try for 10th but was denied and rested in 11th. Espargaro began the race brightly and was on the fringe of the top ten until he had to manage his stamina through the full 27-laps. Pol scored points for the second time with 14th place.

Acosta is now top five in the championship standings with 8 rounds still to come. Bastianini is 12th and Binder holds 14th.

Red Bull Ring and home territory next. The Grand Prix of Austria will start on Friday 18 September.

Pedro Acosta, 3rd and 5th in the championship: “It’s clear the motivation doesn’t go away! I’m happy! The pace was good, the bike was working quite good but we are still missing a bit in the fast sectors. Anyway, we have to be happy and the boys really deserve it.”

Brad Binder, 11th and 14th in the championship: “11th. I tried my best from the beginning until the end but I was just not fast enough. The second half of the race was better but in the first I just didn’t have the speed. All weekend I’ve been battling to find the extra I need. It would have been nice to be a bit more competitive but next week we have Austria and it’s a track that I think will suit my style a bit more and the bike too. I hope it goes better than here. Some work to do, for sure.”

Honda HRC PETRONAS rider and new 2026 World Champion Jeffrey Herlings continued his amazing winning streak, going one-one at the MXGP of China, winning his 12th GP of the season and seventh in a row, in what has been an incredible campaign for the now six-time world champion.

In the first race, he didn’t get the holeshot, but quickly moved into the lead on the first lap and controlled the rest of the race. The second race went similarly, but he got the holeshot this time and although there was a bit of pressure towards the end, he was able to take the victory which means he has now won the last 38 sessions (warm-ups, practices and races). With the championship wrapped up last weekend, this final round in Darwin, Australia gives him one more chance to increase all his already impressive statistics, and really put an exclamation point on this 2026 season – his first with Honda HRC PETRONAS.

Teammate Tom Vialle also continued his excellent recent form by taking third step on the podium, adding to his trophies from Turkiye, the Netherlands and Sweden and moving himself into fourth place in the championship standings. The Frenchman also grabbed the holeshot from the first moto and it is now a private duel between the two Honda CRF450RW riders on who will end the season with the most, with Vialle currently leading Herlings by one.

The riders now have to travel to Darwin, Australia for next weekend’s 19^th and final round of the 2026 MXGP World Championship, with both riders highly motivated to end on a high, and step onto the podium for one last time.