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Yamaha press releases on our motor sports racing activities

Introducing Yamaha’s Factory and Supported Teams and Riders for 2022

February 8, 2022

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February 8, 2022 –Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. engages in racing efforts around the world in road racing, motocross, trials and more, including the MotoGP World Championship, World Superbike Championship and the All Japan Road Race, Motocross and Trials championships. These efforts have three main goals: enhancing the value of the Yamaha brand, developing advanced technologies for our production machines, and promoting the healthy growth of motorcycle racing.

2021 marked Yamaha’s 60th year of participating in international racing, a year in which factory Yamaha MotoGP rider Fabio Quartararo won Yamaha’s first MotoGP title since 2015 and our 18th in the premier class. This was made possible thanks to the support of our teams, sponsors, suppliers and fans around the world.

In addition, Toprak Razgatlıoğlu won Yamaha’s second ever World Superbike Championship title and our first since 2009, while Yamaha also took title wins in international championships like the Supersport World Championship and in national championships in Japan, the United States, Great Britain, France, and other countries. We also triumphed in various off-road championships around the world, including winning the Motocross World Championship MX2 title, AMA Motocross 450cc title, and both the AMA Supercross 250cc East and West titles.

In 2022, our aim is unchanged: to defend our titles in MotoGP and World Superbikes, and to win every other title we contest. We will once again devote all our efforts toward delivering Kando* as we challenge for the wins and titles that lie ahead in 2022.

With the goals of developing young riders and promoting the spread of racing, this year we will work to further strengthen our young rider development activities through the bLU cRU. Since 2016, Yamaha has partnered with the Valentino Rossi-led VR46 Riders Academy in holding the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp to train promising young riders in Italy.

To date the Master Camp has produced riders who have achieved excellent results in the Supersport 300 World Championship, R3 Cup, and Asia Road Racing Championship. In 2017 the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team was established to compete in the FIM CEV Moto3 and Moto2 championships with the aim of further improving the level of Master Camp graduates.

In 2022, the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team will switch from the FIM CEV Moto2 Championship to the Moto2 World Championship, positioning itself as a team for young riders poised to step up to the world's top categories like MotoGP and World Superbikes. Riding for the team will be young up-and-comers who have developed their skills through bLU cRU activities. As they race in Moto2, which can be considered the pinnacle of the sport for young riders, they will gain further experience and promote their growth toward competing at the highest levels.

As part of our effort to work with our locations in each country to develop strong personnel on a broad scale, this year two Master Camps are scheduled. The goals are to motivate young riders aiming for the world stage, and to discover and develop potential riders to compete for the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team in Moto2 in the future.

In terms of technology development through racing, we plan to focus on the All Japan Championships to carry out a wide range of development activities with the aim of achieving our three main principles while also acquiring advanced technologies that can contribute to achieving carbon neutrality. We will work toward feeding advanced technologies gained through racing back into production vehicles, and to develop technologies that contribute to the spread of racing.

For more information on the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp
https://race.yamaha-motor.co.jp/sp/vr46ra/


*Kando is a Japanese word for the simultaneous feelings of deep satisfaction and intense excitement that we experience when we encounter something of exceptional value.



Road Racing

In the MotoGP World Championship, the pinnacle of road racing, four Yamaha riders from two teams will compete on YZR-M1 machinery aiming to defend the 2021 Rider’s title and win the MotoGP Triple Crown of Rider, Team and Constructor titles in 2022.

The factory Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP team will feature Fabio Quartararo, who won the title with five victories, and teammate Franco Morbidelli who placed 17th in an injury-hampered season.

The WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team, a satellite team with a new organization and new sponsor, will feature Andrea Dovizioso, who joined Yamaha in the middle of last season, and Darryn Binder, who makes the step up from Moto3.

The Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team, which had previously competed in the FIM CEV Moto2 Championship, will switch to the Moto2 World Championship for 2022. Riding for the team are Keminth Kubo, who participated in the fifth "Yamaha VR46 Master Camp" in 2018 and has experience in the Asia Road Racing Championship and in the FIM CEV Moto2 Championship, alongside Manuel Gonzalez, who became the youngest ever World Supersport 300 champion in 2019 and finished 3rd in the World Supersport Championship in 2021.

In the World Superbike Championship, the Pata Yamaha with Brixx Official WorldSBK Team will feature defending champion Toprak Razgatlıoğlu, who won Yamaha’s first title since 2009 with 13 victories and 29 podium finishes, and Andrea Locatelli, who finished 4th with four podium finishes in his rookie season.

Lining up for the GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team are Garrett Gerloff, who finished a personal best of 7th overall last season, and Kohta Nozane, who finished 14th overall in his first full season of competition. All four YZF-R1 riders will be aiming to bring Yamaha the title for the second year in a row.

In the Supersport World Championship, held in conjunction with the Superbike World Championship, six riders from three teams, including last year's champion Dominique Aegerter, will compete on YZF-R6s. Just as in the Superbike class, the teams are aiming for two titles for Yamaha in two years.

The Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team will compete once again in the Endurance World Championship on the YZF-R1 after having finished 6th in 2021. The rider lineup remains unchanged with Niccolò Canepa, Karel Hanika, and Marvin Fritz riding for the team.

In the MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship, the Fresh N' Lean Attack Performance Yamaha Racing team will contest the Superbike class on YZF-R1 machinery. The new lineup of riders includes Jake Gagne, who won his first title last year with 17 victories to make it four consecutive Yamaha titles in the class, and teammate Cameron Petersen, who finished third overall last season, both of whom will be aiming for a fifth consecutive Yamaha MotoAmerica Superbike title.

Only one race was held in the Asia Road Racing Championship in 2020 and all races were cancelled for 2021 due to COVID-19, but in 2022 the Yamaha Racing Team ASEAN will compete in the pinnacle ASB1000 class on the YZF-R1M. The team’s riders include Yuki Ito, who finished 5th overall in ASB1000 in 2019 and Kasma Daniel Bin Kasmayudin, who finished 2nd in SS600 in the same year. The team’s goal is to win Yamaha’s first ever title in ASB1000.

In addition, teams managed by our locations in each country will participate in the ASB1000, SS600, and AP250 classes. We will continue to support them on various fronts as they aim to win each class, while also working to develop candidates for the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp and Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team.

Motocross/Supercross

In the Motocross World Championship, the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team will compete in the pinnacle MXGP class with 2021 4th-place finisher Jeremy Seewer, 7th-place finisher Glenn Coldenhoff and class rookie Maxime Renaux, who won the MX2 title with 8 victories. These three riders will be riding the YZ450FM with the goal of taking Yamaha’s first title since 2015.

In the MX2 class, the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team will contest on YZ250FM machinery ridden by Jago Geerts, who finished 2nd in last season’s title race after a battle with Maxime Renaux for the title, and Thibault Benistant, who finished 8th in the championship, and both will be aiming for back-to-back Yamaha titles.

The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing Team is competing in the AMA Supercross Championship that kicked off on January 8 of this year. Riding the YZ450F for the team are Dylan Ferrandis, who stepped up to the 450SX class last year and finished 7th overall before going on to win the outdoor 450MX title with podium finishes in every round, and his teammate Eli Tomac, who won the Supercross 450SX title in 2020 and three AMA Motocross 450SX titles between 2017 and 2019. The team’s goal is nothing less than lifting the trophy for Yamaha’s first Supercross title since 2009.

In the 250SX classes, last year's 250SX West champion Justin Cooper, 250SX East champion Colt Nichols, along with two-time 250MX champion Jeremy Martin, Christian Craig, Nate Thrasher, and Levi Kitchen will compete. The riders will be riding the YZ250F and will be divided into East and West to compete in their respective championships.

In the AMA Motocross Championships’ 450MX class, Ferrandis, Tomac and Craig will attempt to win titles for the second consecutive year aboard the YZ450F, while in the 250MX class, Cooper, Nichols, Martin, Thrasher and Kitchen will be riding the YZ250F.


Main Yamaha Race Teams for 2022 *as of February 8, 2022.

Road Racing

Rider(s) Team(s) Machine
MotoGP World Championship
#20 Fabio Quartararo Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP YZR-M1
#21 Franco Morbidelli
#4 Andrea Dovizioso WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team
#40 Darryn Binder
Moto 2 World Championship
#81 Keminth Kubo Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team Kalex
#18 Manuel Gonzalez
World Superbike Championship
#1 Toprak Razgatlıoğlu Pata Yamaha with Brixx Official WorldSBK Team YZF-R1
#55 Andrea Locatelli
#31 Garrett Gerloff GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team
#3 Kohta Nozane
World Supersport Championship
#77 Dominique Aegerter Ten Kate Racing Yamaha WorldSSP Team YZF-R6
#24 Leonardo Taccini
#7 Lorenzo Baldassarri Evan Bros. Yamaha WorldSSP Supported Team
#56 Péter Sebestyén
#16 Jules Cluzel GMT94 Yamaha WorldSSP Supported Team
#94 Andy Verdoïa
Endurance World Championship
#7 Niccolò Canepa Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team YZF-R1
#7 Karel Hanika
#7 Marvin Fritz
MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship
#1 Jake Gagne Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha Racing YZF-R1
#45 Cameron Petersen
Asia Road Racing Championship: ASB1000 Class
#76 Yuki Ito Yamaha Racing Team ASEAN YZF-R1M
#27 Kasma Daniel Bin Kasmayudin
#24 Apiwath Wongthananon Yamaha Thailand Racing Team YZF-R1
#500 Anupab Sarmoon
Asia Road Racing Championship: SS600 Class
#56 Ratthapong Wilairot Yamaha Thailand Racing Team YZF-R6
#55 Galang Hendra Pratama YAMAHA Racing Indonesia
#36 Muhammad Faerozi Toreqottullah
Asia Road Racing Championship: AP250 Class
#96 Anggi Setiawan YAMAHA Racing Indonesia YZF-R25
#57 Aldi Satya Mahendra

Motocross/Supercross

Rider(s) Team(s) Machine
MXGP World Championship
#91 Jeremy Seewer Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team YZ450FM
#259 Glenn Coldenhoff
#959 Maxime Renaux
MX2 World Championship
#93 Jago Geerts Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team YZ250FM
#198 Thibault Benistant
AMA Supercross: 450cc Class
#14 Dylan Ferrandis Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 450 Team YZ450F
#3 Eli Tomac
AMA Supercross: 250cc Class
#32 Justin Cooper Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 250 Team YZ250F
#6 Jeremy Martin
#45 Colt Nichols
#28 Christian Craig
#49 Nate Thrasher
#59 Levi Kitchen
AMA Motocross: 450cc Class
#14 Dylan Ferrandis Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 450 Team YZ450F
#3 Eli Tomac
#28 Christian Craig
AMA Motocross: 250cc Class
#32 Justin Cooper Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 250 Team YZ250F
#6 Jeremy Martin
#45 Colt Nichols
#49 Nate Thrasher
#59 Levi Kitchen

2022 Rider Profiles

Road Racing

MotoGP World Championship

#20 Fabio Quartararo

Nationality French
Born April 20, 1999
Racing team Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP
   
Racing career
2015 10th in Moto3 World Championship
2016 13th in Moto3 World Championship
2017 13th in Moto2 World Championship
2018 10th in Moto2 World Championship
2019 5th in MotoGP World Championship
2020 8th in MotoGP World Championship
2021 MotoGP World Champion

#21 Franco Morbidelli

Nationality Italian
Born Dec. 4, 1994
Racing team Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP
Racing career
2014 11th in Moto2 World Championship
2015 10th in Moto2 World Championship
2016 4th in Moto2 World Championship
2017 Moto2 World Champion
2018 15th in MotoGP World Championship
2019 10th in MotoGP World Championship
2020 2nd in MotoGP World Championship
2021 17th in MotoGP World Championship

#4 Andrea Dovizioso

Nationality Italian
Born Mar. 23, 1986
Racing team WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team
Racing career
2002 16th in MotoGP World Championship 125cc class
2003 5th in MotoGP World Championship 125cc class
2004 MotoGP World Championship 125cc Champion
2005 3rd in MotoGP World Championship 250cc class
2006 2nd in MotoGP World Championship 250cc class
2007 2nd in MotoGP World Championship 250cc class
2008 5th in MotoGP World Championship
2009 6th in MotoGP World Championship
2010 5th in MotoGP World Championship
2011 3rd in MotoGP World Championship
2012 4th in MotoGP World Championship
2013 8th in MotoGP World Championship
2014 5th in MotoGP World Championship
2015 7th in MotoGP World Championship
2016 5th in MotoGP World Championship
2017 2nd in MotoGP World Championship
2018 2nd in MotoGP World Championship
2019 2nd in MotoGP World Championship
2020 4th in MotoGP World Championship
2021 24th in MotoGP World Championship

#40 Darryn Binder

Nationality South African
Born Jan. 21, 1998
Racing team WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team
Racing career
2016 25th in Moto3 World Championship
2017 19th in Moto3 World Championship
2018 17th in Moto3 World Championship
2019 22nd in Moto3 World Championship
2020 8th in Moto3 World Championship
2021 7th in Moto3 World Championship

World Superbike Championship

#1 Toprak Razgatlıoğlu

Nationality Turkish
Born Oct. 16, 1996
Racing team Pata Yamaha with Brixx Official WorldSBK Team
Racing career
2014 13th in European Superstock 600 Championship
2015 European Superstock 600 Champion
2016 5th in FIM Superstock 1000 Cup
2017 2nd in FIM Superstock 1000 Cup
2018 9th in World Superbike Championship
2019 5th in World Superbike Championship
2020 4th in World Superbike Championship
2021 World Superbike Champion

#55 Andrea Locatelli

Nationality Italian
Born Oct. 16, 1996
Racing team Pata Yamaha with Brixx Official WorldSBK Team
Racing career
2014 Contested Moto3 Championship
2015 20th in Moto3 World Championship
2016 9th in Moto3 World Championship
2017 28th in Moto2 World Championship
2018 15th in Moto2 World Championship
2019 18th in Moto2 World Championship
2020 World Supersport Champion
2021 4th in World Superbike Championship

#31 Garrett Gerloff

Nationality American
Born Aug. 1, 1995
Racing team GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team
Racing career
2015 3rd in MotoAmerica Supersport Championship
2016 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion
2017 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion
2018 5th in MotoAmerica Supersport Championship
2019 3rd in MotoAmerica Supersport Championship
2020 11th in World Superbike Championship
2021 7th in World Superbike Championship

#3 Kohta Nozne

Nationality Japanese
Born Oct. 29, 1995
Racing team GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team
Racing career
2010 9th in All Japan Road Race Championship J-GP3 class
2011 7th in All Japan Road Race Championship J-GP2 class
2012 3rd in All Japan Road Race Championship J-GP2 class
2013 All Japan J-GP2 Champion
2014 8th in All Japan Road Race Championship JSB1000 class
2015 7th in All Japan Road Race Championship JSB1000 class
2016 5th in All Japan Road Race Championship JSB1000 class
2017 5th in All Japan Road Race Championship JSB1000 class
2018 4th in All Japan Road Race Championship JSB1000 class
2019 3rd in All Japan Road Race Championship JSB1000 class
2020 All Japan JSB1000 Champion
2021 14th in World Superbike Championship

MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship

#1 Jake Gagne

Nationality American
Born Aug. 27, 1993
Racing team Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha Racing
Racing career
2015 MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Champion
2016 10th in MotoAmerica Superbike Championship
2017 24th in World Superbike Championship
11th in MotoAmerica Superbike
2018 17th in World Superbike Championship
2019 8th in MotoAmerica Superbike Championship
2020 2nd in MotoAmerica Superbike Championship
2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Champion

#45 Cameron Petersen

Nationality South African
Born Dec. 2, 1994
Racing team Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha Racing
Racing career
2015 7th in MotoAmerica Supersport Championship
2016 4th in MotoAmerica Supersport Championship
2017 23rd in MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Championship
24th in MotoAmerica Superbike Championship
2018 12th in MotoAmerica Superbike Championship
2019 9th in MotoAmerica Superbike Championship
2020 MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Champion
2021 3rd in MotoAmerica Superbike Championship

Asia Road Racing Championship ASB1000

#76 Yuki Ito

Nationality Japanese
Born Nov. 14, 1991
Racing team Yamaha Racing Team ASEAN
Racing career
2006 19th in All Japan Road Race Championship 250cc class
2007 12th in All Japan Road Race Championship 250cc class
2008 9th in All Japan Road Race Championship 250cc class
2010 Entry in All Japan Road Race Championship ST600 class
2011 19th in All Japan Road Race Championship ST600 class
2012 5th in Asia Road Racing Championship SS600 class
10th in All Japan Road Race Championship ST600 class
2013 4th in Asia Road Racing Championship SS600 class
11th in All Japan Road Race Championship ST600 class
2014 2nd in Asia Road Racing Championship SS600 class
8th in All Japan Road Race Championship ST600 class
2015 4th in Asia Road Racing Championship SS600 class
16th in All Japan Road Race Championship JSB1000 class
2016 13th in Asia Road Racing Championship SS600 class
2017 4th in Asia Road Racing Championship SS600 class
2018 9th in Asia Road Racing Championship SS600 class
2019 5th in Asia Road Racing Championship ASB1000 class

#27 Kasma Daniel Bin Kasmayudin

Nationality Malaysian
Born Sept. 2, 2000
Racing team Yamaha Racing Team ASEAN
Racing career
2016 12th in Asia Road Racing Championship AP250 class
2017 21st in Asia Road Racing Championship SS600 class
31st in FIM CEV Moto3 Championship
2018 14th in Asia Road Racing Championship SS600 class
2019 2nd in Asia Road Racing Championship SS600 class
10th in FIM CEV Moto2

Motocross/Supercross

MXGP World Championship

#91 Jeremy Seewer

Nationality Swiss
Born July 18, 1994
Racing team Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team
Racing career
2014 10th in MX2 World Championship
2015 5th in MX2 World Championship
2016 2nd in MX2 World Championship
2017 2nd in MX2 World Championship
2018 8th in MXGP World Championship
2019 2nd in MXGP World Championship
2020 2nd in MXGP World Championship
2021 4th in MXGP World Championship

#259 Glenn Coldenhoff

Nationality Dutch
Born Feb. 13, 1991
Racing team Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team
Racing career
2013 5th in MX2 World Championship
2014 13th in MX2 World Championship
2015 8th in MXGP World Championship
2016 7th in MXGP World Championship
2017 10th in MXGP World Championship
2018 7th in MXGP World Championship
2019 3rd in MXGP World Championship
2020 8th in MXGP World Championship
2021 7th in MXGP World Championship

#959 Maxime Renaux

Nationality French
Born May 17, 2000
Racing team Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team
Racing career
2019 7th in MX2 World Championship
2020 3rd in MX2 World Championship
2021 MX2 World Champion

AMA Supercross/Motocross Championships: 450cc Class

#14 Dylan Ferrandis

Nationality French
Born May 31, 1994
Racing team Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 450 Team
Racing career
2012 10th in MX2 World Championship
2013 9th in MX2 World Championship
2014 4th in MX2 World Championship
2015 15th in MX2 World Championship
2016 7th in MX2 World Championship
2017 5th in AMA Supercross 250cc West Division
6th in AMA Motocross 250cc class
2018 21st in AMA Supercross 250cc East Division
8th in AMA Motocross 250cc class
2019 AMA Supercross 250cc West Division Champion
2nd in AMA Motocross 250cc class
2020 AMA Supercross 250cc West Division Champion
AMA Motocross 250cc Champion
2021 7th in AMA Supercross 450cc class
AMA Motocross 450cc Champion

#3 Eli Tomac

Nationality American
Born Nov. 14, 1992
Racing team Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 450 Team
Racing career
2010 6th in AMA Motocross 250cc class
2011 2nd in AMA 250SX Lites West
4th in AMA Motocross 250cc class
2012 AMA 250SX Lites West Champion
3rd in AMA Motocross 250cc class
2013 2nd in AMA Supercross 250cc West Division
AMA Motocross 250cc Champion
2014 13th in AMA Supercross 250cc West Divisio
5th in AMA Motocross 450cc class
2015 2nd in AMA Supercross 450cc class
14th in AMA Motocross 450cc class
2016 4th in AMA Supercross 450cc class
2nd in AMA Motocross 450cc class
2017 2nd in AMA Supercross 450cc class
AMA Motocross 450cc Champion
2018 3rd in AMA Supercross 450cc class
AMA Motocross 450cc Champion
2019 2nd in AMA Supercross 450cc class
AMA Motocross 450cc Champion
2020 AMA Supercross 450cc Champion
3rd in AMA Motocross 450cc class
2021 3rd in AMA Supercross 450cc class
2nd in AMA Motocross 450cc class

#28 Christian Craig *450MX only

Nationality American
Born July 19, 1991
Racing team Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 450 Team
Racing career
2011 34th in AMA 250SX Lites West
15th in AMA Motocross 450cc class
2012 43rd in AMA 250SX Lites West Division
17th in AMA Motocross 450cc class
2013 11th in AMA Supercross 250cc West Division
2014 20th in AMA Motocross 450cc class
2015 12th in AMA Motocross 250cc class
2016 3rd in AMA Supercross 250cc West Division
30th in AMA Motocross 250cc class
2017 6th in AMA Supercross 250cc East Division
11th in AMA Motocross 450cc class
2018 9th in AMA Supercross 250cc West Division
31st in AMA Motocross 450cc class
2019 34th in AMA Supercross 250cc East Division
21st in AMA Motocross 250cc class
2020 15th in AMA Supercross 250cc West Division
6th in AMA Motocross 450cc class
2021 4th in AMA Supercross 250cc East Division
6th in AMA Motocross 450cc class
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