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Yamaha press releases on our motor sports racing activities

Introducing Yamaha’s Factory and Supported Teams and Riders for 2024

February 7, 2024

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February 7, 2024 –For 2024, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. will continue our racing program in line with our basic policy of enhancing the value of the Yamaha brand, developing advanced technologies to feed back to our production machines, and promoting the healthy growth of motorsports.

This year brings changes to our rider lineup in categories from MotoGP to the World Superbike Championship and elsewhere. As Yamaha riders compete on our YZR-M1 MotoGP machine, YZF-R series, YZ series and other Yamaha motorcycles, our aim is to spread the appeal and excitement of motorsports around the world.

In Yamaha’s home base of Japan, our focus is on technological development. In particular, this year we will launch three TY-E 2.2 electric trials bikes to compete in the All Japan Trials Championship, where last year we contested our first full season on an electric trials bike. We will further accelerate development on these machines with our sights set on taking our first win, and subsequently, our first title in Japan’s premier class of trials competition. Through these efforts, our goal is to acquire technology that will lead toward the development of electric motorcycles that improve on ones with internal combustion engines in terms of performance and fun.

In our mission to promote racing worldwide, we will make further efforts through our bLU cRU road racing program, which we began last year as a way to help develop young riders. Through one-make racing series based on the YZF-R3 and held in collaboration with our group companies and affiliates in Asia, Oceania, and Europe, we will rebuild our step-up structure to provide a platform for promising young riders to move onto the world stage of racing.
It promises to be another fantastic year of Yamaha racing in 2024.

Road Racing

Yamaha’s factory “Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP” team will be competing in MotoGP, the world’s premier class of road racing with riders Fabio Quartararo, who finished 10th overall in 2023, and team newcomer Álex Rins. Their mission is none other than securing this season’s MotoGP world championship title aboard the 2024 model YZR-M1 that has received updates in several areas.

In Moto2, Yamaha and VR46 will work together once again as the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team contests its third season in the class. The team’s rider lineup includes Ayumu Sasaki, who was a title contender in Moto3 last season and finished a close runner-up, alongside Jeremy Alcoba, who took 18th overall in Moto2 twice in a row. They have their sights set on achieving strong results toward winning the Moto2 title and making their way into MotoGP in the future.

The Pata Prometeon Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team will compete in the World Superbike Championship (WorldSBK) in 2024. Joining the team is six-time consecutive title-winner Jonathan Rea, who won every title in the Superbike class between 2015 and 2020. Andrea Locatelli will line up for his fourth season with the team as both riders try to bring the title back to Yamaha.

Riders Dominique Aegerter and Remy Gardner will ride for the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team in 2024. Last season was both riders’ first in the class, and they finished 8th and 9th respectively. This season they are aiming to improve on those results.

There are several riders in the World Supersport Championship (WorldSSP) being supported by Yamaha Motor Europe N.V. (YME) on YZF-R6 machines. They include Stefano Manzi, who finished 2nd overall last season and Lucas Mahias, who won the title aboard a Yamaha YZF-R6 in 2017. After narrowly missing out on a seventh consecutive title last season, the Yamaha teams and riders’ goal will be to reclaim it in 2024.

YME will hold the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU FIM World Cup (R3 World Cup) again this year in cooperation with FIM Europe and Dorna Sports, with the aim of discovering and supporting talented young riders. It is a one-make racing series held in conjunction with WorldSBK and contested with YZF-R3 racebikes. In it, young riders from across the globe will come together to compete and improve their skills. The rider who wins the title this season will be guaranteed an opportunity to enter the Supersport 300 World Championship (WorldSSP300) with support from YME to further hone their racecraft.

A new intiative for this year is the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Asia-Pacific Championship (R3 APC) set to be held in cooperation with Thai Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. In order to further Yamaha’s intention to develop riders from the Asia and the Pacific regions who can compete on the world stage, participants in the R3 APC will be trained and coached, and the champion will receive support to enter the R3 World Cup for the following two seasons. The championship will get underway in April and be run across six races into November of 2024.

The Yamaha VR46 Master Camp, a young rider development program held in conjunction with Valentino Rossi’s VR46 Riders Academy, will continue as one of Yamaha’s step-up programs along with the R3 World Cup and the R3 APC.
Contesting the Endurance World Championship (EWC) for Yamaha using the YZF-R1 for 2024 is the Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team, which will be out to repeat last season’s championship-winning success. The rider lineup remains unchanged, with Niccolò Canepa, Karel Hanika, and Marvin Fritz returning to defend the team’s title.

In the MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship, the Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha team will compete in the premier Superbike class. Riders Jake Gagne, who won 11 races last season to take his third consecutive title, is joined by Cameron Petersen, who took 13th overall after missing the second half of the season. The two are looking to bring Yamaha a fourth consecutive Superbike title.

Yamaha Tekhne Racing Team ASEAN, formed through the cooperation of Yamaha group companies in Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines, will compete in the ASB1000 and SS600 classes of the Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC). In ASB1000, Malaysian rider Kasma Daniel Kasumayudin, who finished 6th overall last season, will line up alongside Japanese rider and 2023 SS600 champion Soichiro Minamimoto to race the YZF-R1M. In the SS600 class, Thai rider Apiwat Wongthananon and McKinley Kyle Paz, from the Phillipines, will race on YZF-R6 racebikes.

All four riders competing in the ARRC have participated in the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp and have since gone on to be competitive in the ARRC, Moto3, Moto2 and other series, and will be aiming to win titles in both ARRC classes in 2024.

Motocross/Supercross

For the 2024 Motocross World Championship (MXGP) season, the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team will compete with riders Maxime Renaux, who finished 10th overall in 2023, along with 6th-place finisher Calvin Vlaanderen and Jago Geerts, who took runner-up in the MX2 class four seasons in a row. Aboard Yamaha’s YZ450FM, these three have the challenge of winning the title for Yamaha for the first time since 2015.

The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team will be competing in MX2 with riders Thibault Benistant, who finished 9th overall last season, Rick Elzinga, who finished 10th overall as a rookie, and Andrea Bonacorsi, who is the 2023 EMX250 European Motocross champion. All three riders will be riding the YZ250FM and aiming to reclaim the title for Yamaha since the last win in 2021.

The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 450 Team/250 Team is currently competing in AMA Supercross, with the season already underway since January. In the premier 450SX class, Eli Tomac, who was closing in on winning the title last year but was sidelined with an injury to take 2nd overall, is joined by Cooper Webb, who was with Yamaha until 2018 and returns to the team this season. Justin Cooper makes his full-season debut in the premier class, and the three teammates will be aiming to take the title for Yamaha aboard the YZ450F.

In 250SX, six riders will ride for the team, including standout 2023 rookie Haiden Deegan, who finished 2nd in 250SX East in his first attempt. Competing on YZ250F machines, each rider has their sights set on winning titles in their respective classes and divisions.

The end of May marks the start of the AMA Motocross season, which will feature the same six riders that are competing in Supercross, including Webb and Cooper in 450MX and Deegan in 250MX.


Main Yamaha Race Teams for 2024 *As of February 7, 2024.

Road Racing

Rider(s) Team(s) Machine
MotoGP World Championship
#20 Fabio Quartararo Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP YZR-M1
#42 Álex Rins
Moto 2 World Championship
#22 Ayumu Sasaki Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team Kalex
#52 Jeremy Alcoba
World Superbike Championship
#65 Jonathan Rea Pata Prometeon Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team YZF-R1
#55 Andrea Locatelli
#77 Dominique Aegerter GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team
#87 Remy Gardner
#5 Philipp Öttl GMT94 Yamaha WorldSBK Team
#28 Bradley Ray Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team
World Supersport Championship
#14 Lucas Mahias GMT94 Yamaha WorldSSP Supported Team YZF-R6
#53 Valentin Debise Evan Bros Yamaha WorldSSP Supported Team
#62 Stefano Manzi Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing WorldSSP Supported Team
#28 Glenn van Straalen
#51 Anupab Sarmoon Team Yamaha Thailand
#32 Krittapat Keankum
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 Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha YZF-R1
#45 Cameron Petersen
Asia Road Racing Championship: ASB1000 Class
#27 Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin Yamaha Tekhne Racing Team ASEAN YZF-R1M
#22 Soichiro Minamimoto
Asia Road Racing Championship: SS600 Class
#24 Apiwat Wongthananon Yamaha Tekhne Racing Team ASEAN YZF-R6
#23 Mckinley Kyle Paz

Motocross/Supercross

Rider(s) Team(s) Machine
MXGP World Championship
#959 Maxime Renaux Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team YZ450FM
#10 Calvin Vlaanderen
#93 Jago Geerts
MX2 World Championship
#198 Thibault Benistant Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team YZ250FM
#44 Rick Elzinga
#32 Andrea Bonacorsi
AMA Supercross: 450cc Class
#3 Eli Tomac Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 450 Team YZ450F
#2 Cooper Webb
#32 Justin Cooper
AMA Supercross: 250cc Class
#38 Haiden Deegan Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 250 Team YZ250F
#31 Jordon Smith
#50 Enzo Lopes
#57 Nate Thrasher
#59 Daxton Bennick
#511 Nick Romano
AMA Motocross: 450cc Class
#2 Cooper Webb Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 450 Team YZ450F
#32 Justin Cooper
AMA Motocross: 250cc Class
#38 Haiden Deegan Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 250 Team YZ250F
#31 Jordon Smith
#57 Nate Thrasher
#59 Daxton Bennick
#40 Stilez Robertson
#511 Nick Romano

2024 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
2022 2nd in MotoGP World Championship
2023 10th in MotoGP World Championship

#42 Álex Rins

Nationality Spanish
Born Dec. 8, 1995
Racing team Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP
Racing Career
2012 5th in Moto3 World Championship
2013 2nd in Moto3 World Championship
2014 3rd in Moto3 World Championship
2015 2nd in Moto2 World Championship
2016 3rd in Moto2 World Championship
2017 16th in MotoGP World Championship
2018 5th in MotoGP World Championship
2019 4th in MotoGP World Championship
2020 3rd in MotoGP World Championship
2021 13th in MotoGP World Championship
2022 7th in MotoGP World Championship
2023 19th in MotoGP World Championship

Moto2 World Championship

#22 Ayumu Sasaki

Nationality Japanese
Born Oct. 4, 2000
Racing team Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team
Racing career
2015 Asia Talent Cup Champion
2016 Red Bull Rookies Cup Champion
2017 20th in Moto3 World Championship
2018 20th in Moto3 World Championship
2019 20th in Moto3 World Championship
2020 16th in Moto3 World Championship
2021 9th in Moto3 World Championship
2022 4th in Moto3 World Championship
2023 2nd in Moto3 World Championship

#52 Jeremy Alcoba

Nationality Spanish
Born Nov. 15, 2001
Racing team Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team
Racing career
2019 JuniorGP World Champion
2020 11th in Moto3 World Championship
2021 12th in Moto3 World Championship
2022 18th in Moto2 World Championship
2023 18th in Moto2 World Championship

World Superbike Championship

#65 Jonathan Rea

Nationality British
Born Feb. 2, 1987
Racing team Pata Prometeon Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team
Racing career
2005 16th in British Superbike Championship
2006 4th in British Superbike Championship
2007 2nd in British Superbike Championship
2008 2nd in World Supersport Championship
2009 5th in World Superbike Championship
2010 4th in World Superbike Championship
2011 9th in World Superbike Championship
2012 5th in World Superbike Championship
2013 9th in World Superbike Championship
2014 3rd in World Superbike Championship
2015 World Superbike Champion
2016 World Superbike Champion
2017 World Superbike Champion
2018 World Superbike Champion
2019 World Superbike Champion
2020 World Superbike Champion
2021 2nd in World Superbike Championship
2022 3rd in World Superbike Championship
2023 3rd in World Superbike Championship

#55 Andrea Locatelli

Nationality Italian
Born Oct. 16, 1996
Racing team Pata Prometeon Yamaha WorldSBK Official 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
2022 5th in World Superbike Championship
2023 4th in World Superbike Championship

#77 Dominique Aegerter

Nationality Swiss
Born Sept. 30, 1990
Racing team GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team
Racing career
2006 Rode in 125cc World Championship
2007 23rd in 125cc World Championship
2008 16th in 125cc World Championship
2009 13th in 125cc World Championship
2010 15th in Moto2 World Championship
2011 8th in Moto2 World Championship
2012 8th in Moto2 World Championship
2013 5th in Moto2 World Championship
2014 5th in Moto2 World Championship
2015 17th in Moto2 World Championship
2016 12th in Moto2 World Championship
2017 12th in Moto2 World Championship
2018 17th in Moto2 World Championship
2019 22nd in Moto2 World Championship
2020 28th in Moto2 World Championship
3rd in MotoE World Cup
2021 World Supersport Champion
2nd in MotoE World Cup
2022 World Supersport Champion
MotoE World Cup Champion
2023 8th in World Superbike Championship

#87 Remy Gardner

Nationality Australian
Born Feb. 24, 1998
Racing team GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team
Racing career
2014 32nd in Moto3 World Championship
2015 30th in Moto3 World Championship
2016 26th in Moto2 World Championship
2017 21st in Moto2 World Championship
2018 19th in Moto2 World Championship
2019 15th in Moto2 World Championship
2020 6th in Moto2 World Championship
2021 Moto2 World Champion
2022 23rd in MotoGP World Championship
2023 9th in World Superbike Championship

MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship

#1 Jake Gagne

Nationality American
Born Aug. 27, 1993
Racing team Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha
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
2022 MotoAmerica Superbike Champion
2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Champion

#45 Cameron Petersen

Nationality South African
Born Dec. 2, 1994
Racing team Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha
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
2022 3rd in MotoAmerica Superbike Championship
2023 13th in MotoAmerica Superbike Championship

Motocross/Supercross

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
2022 4th in MXGP World Championship
2023 10th in MXGP World Championship

#10 Calvin Vlaanderen

Nationality South African
Born Jun 24, 1996
Racing team Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team
Racing career
2015 30th in MX2 World Championship
2016 12th in MX2 World Championship
2017 13th in MX2 World Championship
2018 6th in MX2 World Championship
2019 8th in MX2 World Championship
2020 16th in MXGP World Championship
2021 14th in MXGP World Championship
2022 7th in MXGP World Championship
2023 6th in MXGP World Championship

#93 Jago Geerts

Nationality Belgian
Born April 21, 2000
Racing team Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team
Racing career
2018 8th in MX2 World Championship
2019 3rd in MX2 World Championship
2020 2nd in MX2 World Championship
2021 2nd in MX2 World Championship
2022 2nd in MX2 World Championship
2023 2nd in MX2 World Championship

AMA Supercross/Motocross Championships: 450cc Class

#3 Eli Tomac *450SX only

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 Division
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
2022 AMA Supercross 450cc Champion
AMA Motocross 450cc Champion
2023 2nd in AMA Supercross 450cc class

#2 Cooper Webb

Nationality American
Born Nov. 10, 1995
Racing team Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 450 Team
Racing career
2013 9th in AMA Motocross 250cc class
2014 5th in AMA Supercross 250cc West Division
3rd in AMA Motocross 250cc class
2015 AMA Supercross 250cc West Division Champion
11th in AMA Motocross 250cc class
2016 AMA Supercross 250cc West Division Champion
AMA Motocross 250cc Champion
2017 13th in AMA Supercross 450cc class
8th in AMA Motocross 450cc class
2018 9th in AMA Supercross 450cc class
9th in AMA Motocross 450cc class
2019 AMA Supercross 450cc class Champion
6th in AMA Motocross 450cc class
2020 2nd in AMA Supercross 450cc class
27th in AMA Motocross 450cc class
2021 AMA Supercross 450cc class Champion
4th in AMA Motocross 450cc class
2022 7th in AMA Supercross 450cc class
2021 3rd in AMA Supercross 450cc class
12th in AMA Motocross 450cc class

#32 Justin Cooper

Nationality American
Born Aug. 31, 1997
Racing team Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 450 Team
Racing career
2017 21st in AMA Motocross 250cc class
2018 3rd in AMA Motocross 250cc class
2019 2nd in AMA 250SX East Division
3rd in AMA Motocross 250cc class
2020 2nd in AMA 250SX West Division
5th in AMA Motocross 250cc class
2021 AMA Supercross 250cc West Division Champion
2nd in AMA Motocross 250cc class
2022 4th in AMA Motocross 250cc class
2023 22nd in AMA Supercross 450cc class
2nd in AMA Motocross 250cc class
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