Yamaha Motor Europe will compete in the inaugural FIM Sportbike World Championship with the R7 in 2026.
A brand-new class for the 2026 season, the FIM Sportbike World Championship is introduced to the Superbike World Championship in place of the outgoing Supersport 300 Championship as the series’ entry level class.
Yamaha’s R7 is already proven as a capable on track contender in multiple national-level R7 Cup series across Europe, as well as the Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship (WorldWCR).
Fronting Yamaha’s charge in the all-new class will be Supersport 300 World Championship front-runner Carter Thompson, who narrowly missed out on securing the title in the final season of the 300 category. The Australian will join forces with the former World Championship-winning BR Corse team for 2026.
Having dominated the 2025 FIM Yamaha R3 BLU CRU World Cup, Alessandro Di Persio, will step up to the FIM Sportbike Championship next season with the Arco Motor University Team.
Further Yamaha teams and riders are expected to be confirmed ahead of the season’s start.
Engineers from Yamaha Motor Europe Motorsport Research & Development have been working over recent months to develop a race kit for the R7 to meet the new WorldSPB regulations, and the package has already been tested on track in the proven hands of Pata Maxus Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team rider Andrea Locatelli and reigning FIM Supersport World Champion Stefano Manzi.
The inaugural FIM Sportbike World Championship will get underway at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, Portimão, Portugal between 27th – 29th March.
