American Ben Spies brought Yamaha its first and only World Superbike title to date back in 2009. Photography by Gold & Goose
It’s official—Yamaha Motor Europe has thrown its hat back into World Superbike game. After a four-year absence, the brand returns to the championship in 2016 in collaboration with Crescent Racing and title sponsors PATA. The team will field two riders, retaining current rider Alex Lowes and signing the 2014 World Superbike Champion Sylvain Guintoli.
In addition to his title, the Frenchman brings over 15 years experience in racing, with 45 podiums and 10 race wins in classes spanning 250cc, MotoGP, British Superbike and World Superbike. To compliment Guintoli’s experience, the team has kept the young Lowes. The 2013 British Superbike Champion has struggled a bit on the Crescent Suzuki, but has shown flashes of brilliance and is looked at as one of the strong up-and-coming riders in the championship.
The brand took its first and only World Superbike Championship title in 2009 with three-time AMA Superbike Champion Ben Spies. Yamaha is keen to get back at it again and they’re bringing a formidable weapon—the all-new YZF-R1 that has shown itself to be a winning machine in multiple National Championships.
Yamaha dominated this season in the new MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship, sweeping the Superbike series and taking the crown in Superbike with Cameron Beaubier and Superstock 1000 with Jake Gagne. Across the pond in the British Superbike Championship, Josh Brookes leads the way with two rounds left. Yamaha also currently leads the Spanish FIM CEV Repsol International Championship.
The brand also took top honors at the legendary Suzuka 8 hour with riders Pol Espargaro, Bradley Smith and Katsuyuki Nakasuga, and last weekend claimed second overall in the FIM Endurance World Championship in the hands of France’s GMT94 Yamaha team.
“This is a very exciting moment for us as we eagerly wait to return to the top level of Superbike competition next year after an absence of four years,” commented Yamaha Motor Europe Chief Operating Officer, Eric De Seynes.
The UK based Crescent Team—which brings a 20-year racing history at both the national and global level with victories in the British Superbike Championship, World Superbike and MotoGP—will partner Yamaha as their fully-supported Official World Superbike Team from 2016. Meanwhile Yamaha Motor Europe will retain responsibility over racing strategy and technical development, as well as the rider agreements with Crescent’s technical and engineering racing personnel running the team’s operation at each of the Championship rounds.
