Yamaha to race R7 in 2026 Sportbike World Championship

Yamaha will race the R7 in the inaugural FIM Sportbike World Championship in 2026, led by Carter Thompson and Alessandro Di Persio in the new entry-level class.

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Yamaha Motor Europe has confirmed it will enter the all-new FIM Sportbike World Championship in 2026. The team will field the Yamaha R7 when the category makes its debut as WorldSBK’s new entry-level class.

The Sportbike class replaces the outgoing Supersport 300 Championship and becomes the first rung on the WorldSBK ladder. Thus, creating a structured step between national one-make cup series and the higher-capacity Supersport and Superbike categories.

Yamaha believes it has the perfect package in the R7. The model has already proven its competitiveness in the growing number of R7 Cup championships around Europe, as well as in the Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship.

Two rising talents will front Yamaha’s 2026 campaign.

• Carter Thompson. The Australian fought for the final Supersport 300 title this year. He will race with BR Corse, a former World Championship-winning outfit.
• Alessandro Di Persio. He dominated the 2025 FIM Yamaha R3 BLU CRU World Cup. He now moves up to the Sportbike grid with Arco Motor University Team as part of Yamaha’s “step-up” philosophy, where the R3 Cup champion earns a supported ride in the next tier.

Yamaha says additional teams and riders will be confirmed ahead of the season opener.

On the technical side, Yamaha Motor Europe Motorsport R&D has been developing a full race kit for the R7 to comply with the new WorldSPB regulations. The package has already logged test mileage in the hands of factory WorldSBK rider Andrea Locatelli and current FIM WorldSSP champion Stefano Manzi, with Yamaha reporting encouraging early feedback.

The inaugural FIM Sportbike World Championship will kick off at Portimão, Portugal, on 27–29 March 2026.

Niccolò Canepa also underscored Yamaha’s ladder philosophy. “The winner of the R3 BLU CRU World Cup earns a supported seat in Sportbike. Di Persio is the first rider to step up under this system next year. We are looking forward to seeing what he can do.”