The Honda HRC team has spent two days at Portimão with Somkiat Chantra and Jonathan Rea, standing in for the injured Jake Dixon, although the weather ultimately allowed for just one day of track action.

The factory Honda HRC team tried to make the best use of the few hours of dry track time during the test at Portugal’s Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, where Round 2 of the championship will take place on 27–29 March.

The squad was pleased to have Somkiat Chantra back on board following a period of recovery. Having missed several pre-season tests as well as the opening championship round in Australia due to injury, Chantra was keen to make the most of this week’s session to regain confidence with his bike and team, while also assessing his physical condition. Jake Dixon is still out of action after sustaining injury during last month’s Phillip Island test. The Brit was therefore replaced by HRC test rider Jonathan Rea.

Both Chantra and Rea made a solid start on Monday morning until a rain shower just before 1pm drove all the riders back into the pits. The track unfortunately remained damp for a while, with the SBK field only really making use of the final hour of the day. Having focused on general set-up work and electronics and completing 41 and 32 laps respectively on day one, Chantra and Rea were keen to clock up more miles aboard the CBR1000RR-R on day two.

Unfortunately, cold temperatures and mixed conditions throughout Tuesday prevented any further track action, but both riders were pleased with the positive feeling and the constructive work and atmosphere they experienced with their respective squads.

The Honda HRC team will confirm the rider line-up for the second WorldSBK round, taking place at Portimão in a little over two weeks’ time, in the coming days

Jonathan Rea

“Yesterday I had a smile on my face just because I was riding the bike at this circuit that I love. It was great to work with the crew again and get that feeling back, even though we once again had to deal with some bad weather. In fact, the weather has been a challenge throughout the whole winter testing season. So far, we’ve only managed to complete around 50–60 laps in all, which is less than one full day of testing in normal conditions, so we still have a lot of work to do. That said, I was able to understand the level of the CBR quite quickly when I arrived. It’s already good, but there are clearly some areas where we can improve. We’re getting there gradually, and we’re giving the engineers in Japan and the team here a clearer direction to follow. Physically my condition is much better compared to the first test we had in Jerez, where I couldn’t bend my knee enough to ride comfortably. Portimão is a very physical track, so all in all it was a good test, and I feel physically ready to keep progressing with the work.”

Jeffrey Herlings’ debut for Honda HRC PETRONAS went perfectly on Sunday as the #84 took his 113^th GP win with a dominant one-one performance that also saw him take the red-plate. After yesterday’s qualification race, where an unfortunate crash saw him finish outside the points, the maximum score of 50 points today meant he joint-leads the championship with teammate and fellow debutant Tom Vialle after his one-two-four results across the weekend. It is Herlings though that will takeover the red-plate from Vialle due winning the second moto, but both riders will head to Spain for round two, full of confidence.

For Herlings, an outside gate-pick meant his work would be a lot harder – in theory – but a rocket start on-board his Honda CRF450RW saw him take the holeshot in front of Vialle, making it an HRC one-two. Those positions swapped a few laps into the race as Herlings suffered from a bit of arm-pump and while Vialle tried to pull away, Herlings never let the gap get unmanageable and a few laps from the end, he re-passed the French rider and took the victory.

Race two didn’t start off as well, as he was bumped back to around 10^th, but he made a bunch of passes in the first couple of laps to work his way forward and eventually up into second. The gap seemed insurmountable, and second would still have been good enough for the overall, but not the red-plate, so the #84 put his head down and once again made the pass for the lead near the end of the moto.  A perfect day and a great start to his Honda HRC PETRONAS career and now he hopes to carry this momentum into Spain in a couple of weeks’ time.

Vialle can also be very happy with his weekend, after his two-four motos today that included leading laps in both races. Battling with Herlings in race one and then once again grabbing an excellent start in the second moto meant that he really has got to grips with the Honda CRF450RW is very quick time. Scoring 50 points over the weekend is an excellent tally and while he wasn’t sure where he’d place coming into this round, he now knows he is very much a challenger for the rest of the season.

While he wasn’t pleased with his performance in race one, Ruben Fernandez bounced back in race two and showed that he will also fight for the podium positions throughout this campaign after a fifth placed finish. Things could have been even better as the #70 was in second-position before the red-flag restart, but he put in another solid moto after that and ended up sixth overall in the GP and eight in the championship, with his home GP coming up.

Unfortunately Valerio Lata had a nasty crash in race two, landing on a fellow rider in the chaos of the first two turns. Thankfully the young Italian only has bumps and bruises so he should still be able to line-up in Spain, but he wasn’t the outcome the #18 was after, especially since he finished eighth in the first moto.

Almonte, Spain is another new venue for the series so the riders won’t know exactly what to expect on March 21-22, but after leading all MXGP sessions in Argentina, all the members of Honda HRC PETRONAS will be heading there with renewed confidence that they are very much amongst the best riders on the planet and this second round will give them another opportunity to show it.

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team’s Tim Gajser has delivered improving race results at the MXGP of Argentina to secure fourth overall. Making his Grand Prix debut for the team at the Bariloche circuit, Gajser backed up his sixth in Race One with a solid third in Race Two. Maxime Renaux delivered a consistent 7-8 result to place seventh overall.

In his first Grand Prix with the team, Gajser showed steady progress across the weekend. After placing 10th in the MXGP Qualifying Race, the 29-year-old lined up for the Grand Prix races eager to get the new campaign off to a strong start.

In the opening race, Gajser started just outside the top 10, but using his experience and race craft, he was able to methodically work his way up to sixth at the finish. A much stronger start in Race Two led to a much improved result – third for fourth overall on the day. With the points from all three races tallied up, the Slovenian leaves Argentina fifth in the MXGP World Championship standings.

Renaux, who won the opening Grand Prix of 2025 at a different Argentine circuit, had a mixed day of racing to start the season. In Race One he came out on top of a three-rider battle for seventh, before placing eighth in Race Two after claiming the holeshot aboard his Yamaha YZ450FM. In the series standings, Renaux sits one spot behind his teammate Gajser in

sixth.

Following a mixed weekend of racing for the team in Argentina, the championship now heads to Spain for the MXGP of Andalucia over the weekend of March 21-22.

Following a challenging Daytona round that saw Hunter Lawrence and Jo Shimoda lose a bit of ground in their respective fights for the 450SX and 250SX East AMA Supercross Championships, both Honda HRC Progressive riders performed well under pressure at the exciting second Triple Crown event of the season, which eclipsed the midway point of the season in Indianapolis. Lawrence scored the second premier-class win of his career (his first overall victory with the unique three-race format), while Shimoda was second overall in his third race back from a neck injury. More importantly, each rider improved his chances at a title.

Lawrence was fourth out of turn 1 for the first 450SX race, and he dropped to sixth in the opening laps. Forced to push hard to come out on top of a tight battle with Jorge Prado, Eli Tomac and Justin Cooper, he crossed the finish line in second, positioning him well for the overall podium. The Australian was in third for the majority of the second race, before getting caught up with lappers and narrowly avoiding a crash with five laps to go. He managed to stay on his bike and only lost one position, to Cooper Webb, eventually finishing fourth. Lawrence put everything together in the third and final premier-class race, grabbing the holeshot and leading from start to finish aboard his CRF450RWE. His 2-4-1 finishes netted him his first 450SX Triple Crown win. Quad Lock Honda’s Joey Savatgy was in the fight for another great result before he crashed in the third race and left the track before the checkered flag came out. His teammates Shane McElrath and Christian Craig finished eighth and 10^th overall, respectively, while Savatgy was credited with ninth.

The three 250SX East races saw Jo Shimoda consistently get his CRF250RWE out of the gate in the top three, making him a Triple Crown overall podium contender. In race 1, he battled with Daxton Bennick and Seth Hammaker over second place until the late stages. At that point, Shimoda was closing in on the leading Cole Davies, but he ran out of time and ultimately finished second. The scenario repeated itself in the second race, as the Japanese racer found himself fighting for another second-place finish behind Davies. In the last 250SX race of the evening, the Honda HRC Progressive rider was stuck behind Devin Simonson for a few too many laps, causing him to lose touch with the leaders. Undeterred, Shimoda charged forward and climbed into second late in the race. He held the position until the final corner of the last lap, when he was narrowly passed and finished third—his consistent good starts and late-race pushes earning him second place overall. Also delivering consistent performances was Phoenix Racing Honda’s Cullin Park, who finished inside the top 10 in all three races, earning ninth overall.

Round one of the 2026 Motocross World Championship is getting underway this weekend at the beautiful location of Bariloche, Argentina. Nestled in the Andes, in the Patagonia region, this new venue on the calendar is a long way to travel, but always provides a great atmosphere for the first MXGP gate-drop of the season.

For the Honda HRC PETRONAS team, that means the debuts of Tom Vialle and Jeffrey Herlings, alongside Ruben Fernandez in the MXGP class, and Valerio Lata in the MX2 class. All four riders have had a busy preseason, trying to get ready for this event and this weekend they finally get to see how they stack-up against the best motocross riders on the planet.

Fernandez won last weekend in a Spanish Championship race and has looked very impressive in training and having ridden this prototype Honda CRF450RW last year, he has the most experience and has had a less intense preparation for this opener. He really likes this event, having had his maiden GP victory in this country in 2023 and also because of the Spanish culture in Argentina giving him a sense of home, and making him a fan-favourite with the passionate crowd here.

After three podium performances in his preseason races, Vialle has settled into his new team and environment very quickly. The Frenchman returned from his stint in America at the end of last year and has adapted quickly to the Honda CRF450RW, in what is his first year in the MXGP class. A previous two-time MX2 world champion, he knows what it takes to succeed at this level and now will be hoping to turn that 250cc success into this newest chapter of his career.

Another rider who is starting a new chapter is Herlings, who changed brands for the first time in his professional career, when he joined Honda HRC PETRONAS on January 1^st. The five-time world champion and winningest GP rider in history, hasn’t had too long to get used to his new steed, but victory last weekend at the Lierop International showed that things are heading in the right direction and adding to his 112 GP wins is definitely achievable when the gate-drops on Sunday.

In the MX2 class, Lata will look to start strong, as he hopes to improve upon his rookie campaign. There were plenty of positives to takeaway from his 2025 effort, but there were also things he needed to learn, and the hope is that he’ll come into this campaign much better prepared for the rigours of this 19-round series.

And while Argentina is obviously an important round to start-off the championship, all four riders know that staying fit, healthy and building into the future rounds will be the best strategy to achieving their goals for 2026.

The Arlington, Texas, AMA Supercross round proved to be an incredible night of racing for Honda HRC Progressive, with emotional performances in both categories. After coming close on several occasions, Hunter Lawrence notched his career-first win in the 450SX class, while Jo Shimoda secured an impressive second-place result in the 250SX East opener—his first race back from a neck injury. 

Lawrence quickly recovered from a so-so jump out of the gate, positioning himself in third exiting turn 1. He took advantage of a lap-8 Cooper Webb mistake to move into second and soon joined Ken Roczen at the front. A three-way battle for the lead ensued, with the Australian demonstrating determination and composure as he dealt with the riders ahead and behind. Lawrence made the decisive move on Roczen at the five-minute mark and quickly established an advantage out front. That edge shrunk when the riders behind him jumped with a red-cross flag displayed, but Lawrence held firm until the checkered flag, earning the first premier-class win of his career. Quad Lock Honda’s Joey Savatgy secured seventh place, while his teammate Christian Craig crossed the line in ninth, marking his best result of the season. 

In the 250SX main event, Shimoda grabbed the holeshot aboard his CRF250RWE and led the field through the opening stages. At around one-third race distance, after seeing the red lights flashing (indicating a red-cross situation), he rolled a small double and the finish-line jump that followed it. Meanwhile, Pierce Brown jumped with the red light still illuminated, enabling him to pass Shimoda. Despite applying intense pressure on Brown for the remainder of the race, the Japanese rider was unable to reclaim the lead. Nonetheless, his performance underlined his status as a championship contender. Also notable was Phoenix Racing Honda’s Cullin Park, who finished a respectable ninth. 

At night’s end, Honda HRC Progressive personnel vigorously disputed the lack of penalties around the red-flag incidents in both classes. On Monday, the AMA released an official statement indicating that it has no plan to apply penalties. The team intends to escalate the issue and is currently reviewing all viable avenues.

The Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team, in partnership with Riders for Health (powered by Two Wheels for Life), rewrote the record books as the 2026 Africa Eco Race officially came to a close by the shores of Lac Rose, in Dakar, Senegal. Ténéré Spirit Experience (TSE) rider Kevin Gallas was crowned the overall champion, while Gautier Paulin secured second, and the records did not stop there, with five Ténérés in the top seven overall, and a podium lockout of the Over 650cc class.

Stage 12 of the Africa Eco Race (AER) is a traditional race along the beach to the shores of Lac Rose, with a motocross-style start. As the timings are not counted towards the general classification, it gives the riders a chance to enjoy a short 22 km special stage, after a 203 km liaison from the bivouac in Mpal to Dakar, and remains a fitting way to officially bring the rally to an end. 

Finishing by the shore of the legendary Lac Rose, the stage evokes memories of the Paris-Dakar rallies of the past, especially with Mr Dakar himself, 14-time winner Stéphane Peterhansel, joining the team riding a Ténéré 700 Rally.

Arriving at the podium, TSE rider Gallas was officially crowned the 2026 AER champion in the motorbike class, marking the first time a Ténéré had featured on the top step. He did so in dramatic style too, winning after an incredible showdown against Paulin on Stage 11, which saw the German emerge victorious by just 41 seconds. He also secured two stage wins and three further podiums, showing remarkable consistency in only the former Junior SuperEnduro World Champion’s third rally raid.

Paulin ensured even more glory for Yamaha by finishing in second and cementing a 1-2 for the Ténéré 700 Rally. While he agonisingly missed out on victory, the former MXGP rider showed incredible pace and potential during the race, as he too is new to the sport of rally raid and was competing in his first AER on a motorbike. Securing three stage victories and another podium, he and Gallas beat the closest competitor on a 450cc single-cylinder machine by 15 minutes and 27 seconds, showcasing just how competitive the Ténéré is.

His teammate, Alessandro Botturi, a two-time winner of the AER, missed out on the win in the 2025 edition of the race by just 26 seconds in heartbreaking fashion after his wheels got caught in some netting on the final stage, and was determined to fight for the victory once more. Unfortunately, a technical issue on Stage 4 led to him losing over an hour, effectively ending any chance he had of adding a third AER crown to his name. After Stage 4, instead of pursuing his own glory, the 50-year-old focused on helping his teammates achieve the best results, while still securing a stage win and two more podiums during the event, to finish in seventh overall.

That wasn’t all, though, as TSE riders Mike Wiedemann and António Maio, from Germany and Portugal, respectively, achieved even more success for the Ténéré. Wiedemann scored three stage podiums to finish the rally in fourth overall, while Maio achieved another two podiums for Yamaha to end the rally in sixth overall. 

That meant Ténérés secured six stage wins in total, and a further 11 podiums. Other highlights include securing a lockout of the top five on Stage 10, one of the toughest of the rally, and securing seven spots, thanks to Nicolas Charlier (8th Over 650cc) and Bertrand Gavard (9th in Over 650cc), in the top nine of the Over 650cc class.

The 2026 Africa Eco Race will go down in the history books as one dominated by the Ténéré, as the twin-cylinder adventure bike and the Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team conquered one of the most brutal rally raids on the planet in commanding fashion. The team will be back in action at the Carta Rallye in Morocco from 18-24 April.

The Yamaha Racing family were saddened to learn of the passing of fellow competitor, Robert van Pelt Sr., during the race. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends and teammates.

Kevin Gallas – P1 Overall – 39h24m05s
Ténéré Spirit Experience
“We finally made it to Lac Rose! Now it all feels real, and when I got to the podium, the emotions took over. This has been a long, tough rally, but to come away with the win and to make history with the Ténéré is a dream come true. It was an amazing battle with Gautier, and it came right down to the wire, after 6,000 km of racing, which is insane when you think about it. I want to personally thank every member of the team and everyone at Yamaha who has supported me and given me this amazing opportunity. Now it’s time to rest and recover, and then we will start planning for the Carta Rallye.”

Gautier Paulin – P2 Overall – 39h24m46s
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team
“Wow, what an awesome way to finish an incredible race. Riding along the beach with my teammates was epic, and arriving at the legendary Lac Rose has always been a dream of mine since I was a young boy, watching the original Paris-Dakar rallies with my father. This has been an incredible couple of weeks. The bike has been perfect, the team are incredible, and I have made lifelong friends along the way. To also have secured second, well, I am thrilled considering it was my first AER on a motorbike. Thanks to the team and everyone at Yamaha, this has been an amazing experience, and I can’t wait to do it again.”

Alessandro Botturi – P7 Overall – 41h10m57s
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team
“What a rally for Yamaha. It is always a special feeling reaching Lac Rose, but doing so with a Ténéré making history by winning is incredible. Bravo to Kevin and Gautier; they are both great riders, and while they are new to rally raid, they have incredible potential. I was obviously unable to fight for the victory after my issue on Stage 4, but helping my teammates achieve the amazing result was a reward in itself. Thanks to the entire team for their efforts, and I am already looking forward to the Carta Rallye.”

Marc Bourgeois
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team – Team Manager
“Wow, just wow. What a day for Yamaha, the Ténéré 700 Rally and the team. To win the rally for the first time in itself would be amazing, but to have secured a 1-2 and to have five Ténéres in the top seven overall shows how competitive and reliable the bike is, especially when compared to our rivals on specialist 450cc single-cylinder bikes. The whole team should be very proud of their efforts. This is a long, hard rally, and they kept a positive attitude from the start, and every one of them deserves the plaudits as well. Thanks to Yamaha for the support, and now that we have the first AER win under our belt, we are hungry for more.”

Three intense days of activity brought 2026 MotoGP to life at the Sepang International Circuit, host of the Malaysian Grand Prix in October, where potential modifications for the KTM RC16 prototype were tried and tested by the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Red Bull KTM Tech3 teams. It was Pedro Acosta who ranked highest on the timing screens by the end of the third day with the 8th fastest lap-time.

Hot and humid conditions greeted the MotoGP paddock once more at Sepang. The long and varied layout, which is due to be resurfaced before the 20th GP of the 2026 series this autumn, provided a decent testing ground of the ideas and parts of the KTM race department. The worklist was comprehensive with a view towards the 22-round contest starting at the end of the month in Thailand.

Rainfall forced a delay on day two but otherwise the track was grippy and beneficial to evaluate new aerodynamic, chassis, and set-up options for the 2026 race package. Pedro Acosta, Brad Binder, Enea Bastianini and Maverick Viñales made back-to-back comparisons as well as race and Sprint simulations and then used their stock of soft tire options today (Thursday) to get their duties ticked off. Key decisions must be made for homologation of certain components, especially the first phase of aerodynamic profiling.

Acosta was just 0.8 from the quickest chrono effort despite not putting his energies into a time attack. Bastianini increased his comfort on the RC16 to rest in P10 with Binder and Viñales close in P13 and P14 once the session reached a checkered flag.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Red Bull KTM Tech3 will remain in Malaysia for the MotoGP championship launch in Kuala Lumpur on February 6-7 and then the factory will gather at the Buriram International Circuit for the final two days of testing on February 6-7 prior to GP1.

Pedro Acosta, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 8th: “I was making chassis tests on day one, then using the 2025 bike yesterday and then we worked with both today and we didn’t really have the target for a fast lap-time. Even though we were trying a lot of things and not really knowing the bike the lap-time was quite good I’d say. I wanted a clear image in my head of what pieces we need now for Thailand and then completing the package, and I’m quite happy for this. I want to create pure speed now in Thailand because here I wanted to spend more time on track.”

Enea Bastianini, Red Bull KTM Tech3, 10th: “It’s been interesting. We worked a lot these three days and we improved in every area; that was important for me and it was also good to work with my new Crew Chief. I’m comfortable on the bike now and that’s thanks to work in the winter with the wind tunnel and more things here. We have some good solutions but we can still improve! It’s just the first test and we want to try more at the next one.”  

Brad Binder, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 13th: “We have slowly put together all the parts we’ve tried these days and I feel a lot better. I was not able to put in a super-fast lap-time by any means but I felt more comfortable on the bike and the times were coming easier. I’m happy with the work we have done and I think the comfort will turn into more speed at the next test. I think we can use a little more turning, and this will then take us a long way. I have a much better idea of what I have underneath me.”

Maverick Viñales, Red Bull KTM Tech3, 14th: “Day three was positive again. We arrived to the point where you can confirm what you like and what you don’t. We tried different set-ups, especially for the time attack and, for me, we decided the best was what we tried on day one. This is the feeling I like. Today the lap-times didn’t look so positive but, for knowing what I like, it was positive. I was working on technique and my riding style and to understand the bike more. I was more focused on set-up today and I think we have good pace. The bike gives me good feedback and making that strong lap-time on day one was a good sign because normally there is not good grip at that time, and if you have a bike that works when the grip is low then you’ll be competitive. We’ll try to improve more in Thailand.”

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing have revealed their look, colors and line-up for the 2026 FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship and a renewed bid for yet more title success.

Four riders and two KTM 450 SX-Fs and two KTM 250 SX-Fs will form the factory roster in the 2026 MXGP and MX2 classes of the world championship this year: a contest that starts on 7-8 of March in Bariloche, Argentina and runs for a total of 20 events through 18 countries until 19-20 September in Australia.

2025 MXGP runner-up Lucas Coenen will be accompanied in the premier class by former MX2 #1 and incoming rookie Andrea Adamo while defending world champion Simon Laengenfelder is joined once more by Sacha Coenen in MX2. The Italian and German come under the expertise of former multi world champ Joel Smets while the Belgian twins will be steered by Davide De Carli and his faction of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.

Digits and data.

5 & 13: Grand Prix wins and podiums achieved by Lucas Coenen (the youngest ever premier class victor) in his rookie season in 2025.

16: MX2 World Championship titles earned by Red Bull KTM and the KTM 250 SX-F since the formation of the category in 2004

17 & 47: Total Grand Prix wins and podium results posted by all four current riders in 2025.

18: The number of seasons since 2007 where Red Bull KTM have won both MXGP and MX2 Grands Prix in the same campaign.

60: Races to come from 20 Grands Prix in 2026, between points-scoring Saturday Qualification Heats and Sunday Grand Prix motos.

Lucas Coenen, MXGP, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing: “Training has been going well – I guess everybody says the same! But testing days have gone smoothly and we’re looking quite on-point, so now we’re counting the days towards the first races and the opening Grand Prix. My goals are always the same: being the best version of myself and trying to win.”

Andrea Adamo, MXGP. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing: “Life with the 450 is going good. Every time I enter the track I discover something new and that makes it exciting and interesting. I had spent many years on the 250 and it was already very familiar, and now there are many new feelings. Overall, preparation is going well. I’m healthy and fit and the winter has gone positively, even if we still have some time before the first GP. I think the bike is amazing and it makes me want to get to Argentina quickly! 2026 will be a different type of racing with a different kind of opponent. Guys with so much experience, so I have to learn from them. It will be a challenge and I cannot really speak about expectations but I want to try and stay as close to the top five as possible and then we’ll see…because there are many good guys on the line. We have to learn as much as we can. I’m happy to join the ‘big class’!”

Simon Laengenfelder, MX2. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing: “For 2026 there has been quite a few changes for me: the physical trainer, the mechanics and the people around me, even the gear now with Alpinestars! Luckily the bike has not changed so much and I’m super-excited. I’m really happy right now and having one championship under my belt has even increased my motivation because I want to show everybody that I can do it a second time. I’ve been training hard and I feel strong and ready. The pre-season races will show if we need to be work in any other area but in a month’s time I’ll be 100% to start the fight.”

Sacha Coenen, MX2. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing: “I think we are ready. We’ve done a good job so far this off-season with the bike and the preparation. We still have some time…but we feel strong and I believe we can expect some good things.”

Joel Smets, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “We’ve had a good winter with some changes in the team by switching from three to two riders which, being honest, makes it a bit easier to work: more efficient and more individual to each rider. The improvements to the bike – once again – have turned out well so a big shout out to the factory. The riders are in good shape for the pre-season races coming up. Goals for the year are to defend the championship and win back-to-back titles. Luckily in my own career I’ve had experience with that! So there are some tips and tricks I can give to Simon, and with Andrea I’m quite satisfied with how he has adapted to the 450 so far and he understood he needed to change his style a bit. The coming season will be exciting.”

Davide De Carli, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing De Carli Team Manager: “It’s been a fun winter. The brothers did a bit of riding in the U.S. and then came back to Rome for a few good weeks of testing. We’ve done some sand training and right now we’re in Sardinia for more work. I think both brothers have made a step; a year older, another year more mature. With Sacha we want a bit more consistency for the season and we’re building to that. He’s faster again but also working more on technique. It will be Lucas’ second year in the MXGP class and he’ll benefit from that experience of 2025 He had great speed last season and learned from both the ups-and-downs. We’d love to put everything together and to bring home two titles!”

Pit Beirer, KTM Motorsports Director: “2026 has started in a fast and super-positive way for us in Dakar and SuperMotocross and we know the MXGP boys will also continue that because the level of the whole team is so high. The results proved this in 2025 and have done so every season. Again, we have a defending world champion thanks to Simon and there is a mix of rookie education with Andrea and development of more world class race winners in Lucas and Sacha. Our KTM SX-Fs will again be the references for starts and speed, so everything is in place. Good luck to the boys and I hope they stay healthy and at the front!”

Yamaha Motor Europe has presented its new-look rider line-up for the 2026 FIM Superbike World Championship as excitement and anticipation builds for the season opener at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit in Australia next month. 

2026 brings a fresh new look to Yamaha’s roster of riders, with new additions to both the Pata Maxus Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team and GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team. 

The new season marks the 11th year of collaboration between Pata Snack, Yamaha Motor Europe and Crescent Yamaha on the WorldSBK project, which has seen a multitude of success over the past decade including victory in the 2021 Rider, Team and Manufacturer World Championships. 

Returning to front Yamaha’s charge is 2020 FIM Supersport World Champion Andrea Locatelli, who enters his sixth season with the Official Team. The Italian enjoyed one of his strongest WorldSBK seasons to date in 2025, achieving his maiden premier class race victory in Assen. The 29-year-old narrowly missed out on third in the overall standings last year, and heads into the new season hungry for further success. 

Joining Locatelli at Pata Maxus Yamaha for 2026 is Xavi Vierge, wearing blue for the first time at the start of his fifth season in the WorldSBK Championship. The former Moto2 Grand Prix contender impressed in his initial outings on the R1 WorldSBK, ending the two post-season tests at Jerez as the fastest Yamaha rider. Keen to carry the momentum from these first tests into the new season, Vierge is determined to show his potential as racing gets underway. 

2021 Moto2 World Champion Remy Gardner will remain with the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team for a fourth season in 2026. The Australian has shown pace and promise aboard the R1, including two visits to the podium, but has been hampered by injury for the last two seasons. Fighting fit and ready to start the new season, Gardner has a clear target of adding to his rostrum tally in 2026. 

GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK retains its distinction of running two World Champions in 2026, with reigning FIM Supersport World Champion Stefano Manzi graduating to the superbike class with the Italian team. Manzi, who dominated the 2025 WorldSSP season aboard the R9, has made a strong start to life as a superbike rider with competitive times in testing. The 26-year-old is keen to follow in the footsteps of Locatelli, who also graduated to the WorldSBK class with Yamaha as WorldSSP Champion. 

Ahead of the final European test in Portimão this week, the covers have come off the R1 WorldSBK machines Locatelli, Vierge, Gardner and Manzi will campaign in 2026. 

Pata Snack returns as the title sponsor of Yamaha’s Official WorldSBK squad for an 11th consecutive season – this unparalleled support making for one of the longest-standing partnerships in WorldSBK history. Pata’s distinctive logo not only features prominently on the bikes of the Pata Maxus Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team, but also the R1s campaigned by the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team. Pata’s valued partnership with Yamaha extends throughout the classes, with the Italian snack manufacturer also the title sponsor of the Pata Yamaha Ten Kate WorldSSP Supported Team, as well as featuring as the principal supporter of the FIM Yamaha R3 BLU CRU World Cup Champion Alessandro Di Persio in the all-new FIM Sportbike World Championship for 2026. 

In a new multi-year agreement, DP World, a leading provider of global end-to-end supply chain solutions will join forces with Yamaha as the Official Logistics Partner of the Yamaha MotoGP, WorldSBK and WorldSSP teams. Through the agreement, DP World will support Yamaha’s racing programmes with integrated smart logistics solutions. DP World branding will feature prominently on the R1s of the Pata Maxus Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team, GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team, Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing WorldSSP Supported Team and the AS Racing Yamaha WorldSSP Supported Team.

MAXUS, the leading commercial vehicle brand distributed in the UK and Ireland, part of the Harris Group, returns with the Official Yamaha WorldSBK Team as co-title partner, creating the Pata Maxus Yamaha identity. 

Independent effort Yamaha MotoXRacing will also return to the grid with two bikes with Bahattin Sofuoğlu remaining with Sandro Carusi’s team for a second season. The Turkish rider showed promise in his rookie campaign as he pushed towards the top ten, something both he and the team will be hoping to make a more regular occurrence in 2026. Sofuoğlu is joined at MotoXRacing by rookie Mattia Rato. 

The Yamaha WorldSBK teams are on track at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve for a final European pre-season test this week, before flying to Australia next month. Once ‘Down Under’, teams will undergo one final pre-season test at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit (16-17 February) before the season opener gets underway from 20-22 February. 

Andrea Dosoli, Yamaha Motor Europe, Motorsport, Division Manager

“We are incredibly excited to get started; there are a lot of changes coming into 2026, including in our rider line-ups, and it gives us a lot of cause to be hopeful for a strong racing year for Yamaha. In 2025, we feel we made a strong step as a result of the collaborative effort from our engineers, the wider YME Management team, our riders and our teams – which have been unwavering in the pursuit of victory. Over the winter, everyone has been working hard to take further steps in 2026, and with a renewed rider line-up we are confident ahead of the season’s start. None of this would be possible without our partners, and for an incredible 11th year we will enjoy the support of Pata Snack – support for which we are extremely grateful. The level of competition in WorldSBK is at a really high level, so we are looking forward to close, thrilling battles on track!”

Niccolò Canepa, Yamaha Motor Europe, Motorsport, Road Racing Sporting Manager

“In 2025 we fought for third in the championship until the very last race and while of course, our goal is to win, we believe that the results last year marked a clear step forward – especially for Locatelli. This gives us confidence and optimism ahead of the new season, as if we can continue to push and make further steps with the Yamaha R1 WorldSBK as a package, and our riders continue to progress, then more results will also come. In Locatelli and Gardner, we have two riders who know the R1 and our project inside out, this kind of consistency and continuation is vital in motorsport, but at the same time it is also nice to introduce ‘new blood’ and to pair the experience we have honed with the fresh perspectives of Vierge and Manzi, this is something I find really exciting. Racing in WorldSBK is never easy, but I am confident and hopeful ahead of the new season.”