Yamaha unveil WorldSSP contenders ahead of YZF-R9 ...

WorldSSP 2025

Yamaha YZF-R9

Historical past shall be made in Australia later this month because the all-new Yamaha R9 makes its race debut because the 2025 FIM Supersport World Championship will get underway on the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.

Forward of the ultimate two-day take a look at earlier than the primary occasion in Australia, Yamaha Motor Europe has uncovered the colors of the three supported groups set to steer the cost into the ‘Subsequent Technology’ of Supersport with the three-cylinder R9.

Having completed runner-up within the WorldSSP championship for the final two seasons, Italian rider Stefano Manzi will once more entrance Yamaha’s effort with the Pata Yamaha Ten Kate WorldSSP Supported Staff. Ending simply 24-points from the eventual champion in 2025, Manzi is hoping to go one step additional in 2025 with the brand new R9 at his disposal.

Manzi is joined within the Pata Yamaha Ten Kate workforce by reigning All Japan Highway Racing JSB1000 Champion Yuki Okamoto, who prepares to make his debut on the world stage.

The GMT94 Yamaha WorldSSP Supported Staff will return to a two-bike effort within the 2025 WorldSSP championship with five-time WorldSBK race winner Michael Ruben Rinaldi lining up alongside 2017 WorldSSP champion Lucas Mahias.

Evan Bros Racing will use their world championship-winning pedigree to nurture the subsequent technology of Yamaha expertise as they change into the BLU CRU Evan Bros Yamaha WorldSSP Supported Staff for 2025. Dynamic Turkish teen Can Öncü joins the workforce alongside Malaysia’s Aldi Satya Mahendra, who steps as much as the WorldSSP class after profitable the WorldSSP300 championship in 2024 following his second place end within the 2023 FIM R3 BLUCRU World Cup.

Engineers at Yamaha Motor Europe Motorsport Analysis and Improvement have been working for over a yr to show the brand new R9 into a real WorldSSP challenger. The 2025 rider line-up bought their first style of the R9 WorldSSP machine in a shakedown take a look at at Cremona in November, earlier than groups launched into an intensive pre-season testing programme at varied circuits in Spain. Aggressive lap occasions recommend the R9’s potential and with an additional two-day take a look at on the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit (17-18 February) – there are excessive hopes for the brand new undertaking within the opening spherical, which takes place between 21-23 February.

Andrea Dosoli – Division Supervisor, Motorsport, Yamaha Motor Europe

“It is going to be a big second when the R9 makes its race debut in Australia later this month. This is a vital new mannequin for Yamaha and we have now been working exhausting behind the scenes to make sure we are able to have a powerful a begin as potential when the lights exit at Phillip Island. The R6 was a WorldSSP legend and it was profitable proper till the tip, so our targets with R9 are the identical – we need to be aggressive from the very first season and the mix of the exhausting work from our engineers and groups with the sturdy rider line-up offers us confidence forward of the season’s begin. A giant thanks to the entire engineers for the substantial effort which has gone into this undertaking to date, and eventually I’d wish to want our riders and groups a terrific season.”

Niccolò Canepa – Highway Racing Sporting Supervisor, Motorsport, Yamaha Motor Europe

“We’re very excited to see the R9 compete in its first WorldSSP race weekend. Our numerous rider line-up options a mixture of expertise and youth, giving us a powerful probability within the R9’s first season. After all, Stefano Manzi completed runner-up in WorldSSP for the final two seasons, so he’s eager to combat for the title this yr. Michael Ruben Rinaldi involves WorldSSP from WorldSBK and desires to point out his pace immediately, placing his ‘large bike’ expertise to make use of. Can Öncü has been spectacular in testing, as has Lucas Mahias – a former World Champion with Yamaha in 2017, so we have now motive to be assured given the depth of expertise and potential throughout our three groups. For Yuki Okamoto and Aldi Mahendra, the beginning of the season is about studying the brand new bike and sophistication, and in Yuki’s case model new tracks too. Our groups have been testing all through January and the preliminary indicators are constructive as we head to Phillip Island for one closing take a look at earlier than the race weekend. As this can be a utterly new undertaking ranging from scratch, it’s troublesome to make exact targets however our objective is to be as aggressive as potential from the very begin.”

WorldSSP Yamaha YZF-R9 Photographs

WorldSBK and WorldSSP riders will first participate within the Official Check on the seventeenth and 18th of February earlier than the season-opening Australian spherical from Friday, the twenty first, to Sunday, the twenty third February.  Organisers have confirmed that the season opener will feature mandatory pit stops due to tyre wear issues on the notoriously abrasive Phillip Island track surface.

2025 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship Calendar