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.
Niccolò Canepa, Road Racing Sporting Manager, Yamaha Motor Europe
“2026 marks an exciting new chapter in World Championship motorcycle racing with the introduction of the new Sportbike class. We already know the R7 is a great platform for racing from the R7 Cup series across Europe and WorldWCR, and the team here at Yamaha Motor Europe Motorsport R&D have been working hard on developing the race kit for the new Sportbike category. Initial tests have been very positive, with both Locatelli and Manzi enjoying the bike a lot. Our aim, as always, is to win, and to do this we have put together a strong rider line-up and are very pleased to have signed 2025 WorldSSP300 runner-up Carter Thompson, a promising young rider with a lot of talent!
“The new Sportbike championship will feature as a core part of Yamaha’s step-up philosophy, with the winner of the R3 BLU CRU World Cup earning a supported ride in this series. Alessandro di Persio will be the first rider to ‘step up’ from the R3 Cup to Sportbike next year, and after a dominant season in the R3 Cup we are looking forward to seeing what he can achieve.”
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