Pata Maxus Yamaha Eyes Strong Weekend at Cremona WorldSBK Round

Andrea Locatelli returns to home soil as Pata Maxus Yamaha prepares for Round 10 of the 2026 WorldSBK season at Cremona.

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Pata Maxus Yamaha heads to the Cremona Circuit this weekend for Round 10 of the 2026 FIM Superbike World Championship, with Andrea Locatelli set to enjoy one of the most meaningful races of his season on home soil.

Taking place from 25-27 September, the Italian round sees Locatelli racing just 100km away from his hometown in the province of Bergamo. The Yamaha rider is expected to receive strong support from local fans as he looks to deliver another impressive result in front of his home crowd.

Locatelli also heads into the weekend with useful track knowledge after taking part in a test at Cremona two weeks ago. Although rain limited the amount of dry running, the Italian came away encouraged by the performance of his Yamaha in both wet and dry conditions. The test provided the team with valuable data and a solid foundation to build on for the race weekend.

On the other side of the garage, teammate Xavi Vierge endured a more frustrating test after poor weather restricted him to just eight laps around the circuit. Despite the limited preparation, the Spaniard remains optimistic, having enjoyed strong performances at Cremona in previous seasons. He will also be looking to carry the momentum from his encouraging outing at Magny-Cours into another competitive weekend.

Track action begins on Friday with two 45-minute practice sessions. Free Practice 1 is scheduled for 10:20 CEST, followed by Free Practice 2 at 15:00 CEST, giving teams their first opportunity to fine-tune their setups before qualifying and the races.

Speaking ahead of his home round, Locatelli said the recent test had given him confidence despite the challenging weather conditions.

“After the test in Cremona, we found a good feeling in both conditions. We managed some laps in the dry, unfortunately not a full day, and also a couple of runs in the wet, and in both the feeling was really positive. We were doing a good job, even if we missed a bit of the track time that’s important to build confidence and make a step forward.”

The Italian is also eager to race in front of his home supporters.

“I’m really excited to be there. Cremona is a nice track, and we’ll have a lot of Italian fans coming to cheer for me and for Yamaha. We have to stay positive and give everything from Friday. We’re coming to the end of the season, but I’m sure that if we keep working hard we can achieve good results.”

Vierge is hoping for much better weather this time around after his rain-hit test limited valuable track time.

“The first thing to say is that I hope we can do more than eight laps this time! Unfortunately, at our test in Cremona we weren’t lucky with the weather and only managed a handful of laps, but even in that short run the feeling was quite good, so it’s something to build on.”

The Spaniard believes his previous success at Cremona and recent performance at Magny-Cours can help him fight further up the order.

“It’s a track I always enjoy riding and where I’ve been strong in the past, so I think this is a good opportunity to keep the momentum going from Magny-Cours and try to fight closer to the front.”

With the 2026 WorldSBK season entering its closing stages, Pata Maxus Yamaha will be aiming to make the most of the Cremona weekend as Locatelli looks to shine on home soil and Vierge targets another strong points finish.