Yamaha Begins R9 Title Defence at 2026 WorldSSP Opener

Yamaha launches its 2026 WorldSSP campaign at Phillip Island aiming to defend the R9’s triple crown, with Can Öncü leading a strong multi-team line-up in Australia.

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Yamaha Motor Europe heads into the opening round of the 2026 FIM Supersport World Championship at Phillip Island with one clear objective: defend the historic triple crown secured by the all-new Yamaha R9 in its debut season.

The championship kicks off this weekend at the iconic Australian circuit, where the R9 first made headlines in 2025. On that occasion, Stefano Manzi and the Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing squad delivered an immediate statement by winning the opening race, setting the tone for a dominant campaign that culminated in the rider, team and manufacturer titles.

Manzi’s remarkable 2025 season featured 11 race victories en route to the WorldSSP crown, while Can Öncü completed a formidable 1-2 in the standings and added six wins of his own, firmly establishing the three-cylinder R9 as the benchmark machine in the category.

With Manzi graduating to the FIM Superbike World Championship in 2026 with the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team, the responsibility of leading Yamaha’s title defence now falls to Öncü. The Turkish rider steps into the Pata Yamaha Ten Kate WorldSSP Supported Team line-up as the spearhead of the R9 campaign, aiming to convert his race-winning speed into championship consistency.

Öncü will be joined by Yuki Okamoto, who enters his second season with the Dutch outfit after transitioning from success in the All Japan Road Racing Championship. Having spent 2025 adapting to the highly competitive WorldSSP field, Okamoto now faces a pivotal year to demonstrate his full potential on the R9.

Christophe Guyot’s GMT94 Yamaha WorldSSP Supported Team also returns with a balanced pairing of experience and youth. Former WorldSSP World Champion Lucas Mahias continues with the team after a season marked by multiple podium challenges, while Roberto Garcia embarks on his first full campaign after impressing with strong pace following his mid-season debut in 2025.

Yamaha strengthens its 2026 line-up by welcoming the AS BLU CRU Racing WorldSSP Supported Team to the R9 platform. Indonesian talent Aldi Satya Mahendra joins the squad after rapidly progressing through the BLU CRU pathway, rising from the Yamaha R3 BLU CRU World Cup to clinch the Supersport 300 World Championship in 2024 before delivering an impressive rookie WorldSSP season in 2025 that was unfortunately cut short by injury. Alongside him, 2020 Moto3 World Champion Albert Arenas transitions to WorldSSP after securing eighth place in the Moto2 World Championship last year.

Further strengthening Yamaha’s presence on the grid, VFT Racing continues its R9 programme with Filippo Farioli, while Cerba Yamaha Racing Team joins the line-up with Xavi Cardelus. Meanwhile, Yamalube Motorsport Kofler will field Andreas Kofler at the European rounds, bringing the total number of Yamaha R9 machines on the 2026 WorldSSP grid to nine.

Niccolò Canepa, Yamaha Motor Europe’s Road Racing Sporting Manager, emphasised that the R9’s debut success has set a clear benchmark for the new season. While acknowledging the loss of the reigning champion to WorldSBK, he highlighted the strength and depth of Yamaha’s rider roster, expressing confidence that Öncü can emerge as a title contender and that newcomers such as Arenas and Mahendra can quickly adapt to the championship.

Phillip Island once again serves as the stage where Yamaha’s WorldSSP campaign begins, with Free Practice and Superpole scheduled for Friday ahead of the opening races on Saturday and Sunday. As the R9 returns to the circuit where it first stunned the paddock, Yamaha arrives in Australia determined to prove that its breakthrough 2025 success was only the beginning of a new era in the Supersport category.