Locatelli Salvages P5 in Wet Phillip Island Finale

Andrea Locatelli charges from 15th to fifth in a rain-soaked Race 2 at Phillip Island, offering a bright spot in a tough 2026 WorldSBK opener for Pata Maxus Yamaha.

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It was a bruising start to the 2026 season for Pata Maxus Yamaha at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, but a fighting fifth-place finish from Andrea Locatelli in a rain-hit Race 2 offered a much-needed boost at the end of a challenging weekend.

Round 1 of the Superbike World Championship delivered mixed conditions, technical setbacks and missed opportunities for Yamaha’s official squad, leaving plenty to reflect on as the European leg approaches.

Big Climb in the Wet

After finishing 14th in the morning Superpole Race, Locatelli was forced to start Race 2 from 15th on the grid. In treacherous wet conditions, he wasted no time making progress, climbing to eighth by the end of the opening lap.

From there, the Italian joined the battle inside the top six, maintaining a steady pace as rivals struggled with grip and visibility. As others faltered, Locatelli kept his Yamaha R1 WorldSBK upright and competitive, eventually securing fifth place while resisting late pressure from Danilo Petrucci.

The result stood out as a clear positive in what had otherwise been one of Locatelli’s toughest events since joining the factory Yamaha effort in 2021. Despite the difficult weekend overall, the late-race pace and decisive opening laps demonstrated that both rider and machine still have strong potential when conditions align.

Vierge’s Tough Debut Weekend

For Xavi Vierge, the final results do not reflect the promise shown earlier in the weekend.

After displaying impressive speed in qualifying, the Spaniard suffered a heavy high-speed crash in Race 1 but fortunately escaped serious injury. A technical issue with the rebuilt machine then prevented him from starting the Superpole Race, eliminating a key opportunity to improve his grid position.

Race 2 offered a chance to recover in the wet, and Vierge was beginning to make forward progress before crashing out on Lap 13 after losing rear grip at Turn 2. It capped off a frustrating opening round, even though his underlying pace suggested stronger results were possible.

Work to Do Before Europe

Team management acknowledged that the results in Australia did not reflect the true capabilities of the Yamaha R1 WorldSBK, particularly given stronger performances at Phillip Island in previous seasons.

While Locatelli’s charge to fifth showed resilience and determination, the overall weekend exposed areas requiring improvement particularly in consistency and extracting performance in changing conditions.

There is little time to dwell on the disappointment. Following the return to Europe, the team will conduct a two-day test at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve on 9–10 March. The session will be crucial preparation ahead of Round 2 at Portimão later in the month.

Phillip Island may not have delivered the results Yamaha hoped for, but the season is only just beginning and the fightback starts now.