Honda rider Xavi Vierge will officially join Pata Maxus Yamaha for the 2026 WorldSBK season, replacing six-time champion Jonathan Rea.
The Spaniard revealed ahead of the recent Aragon race weekend that he had made his decision for the 2026 season: he will switch from the CBR1000RR-R to the Yamaha R1.
Vierge’s four-year stint with the factory Honda HRC team was highlighted by a podium finish in Race 2 at the 2023 Indonesian round.
“We are pleased to have reached an agreement with Xavi Vierge that will see him join the Pata Maxus Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team for 2026,” said Yamaha Motor Europe Road Racing Sporting Manager, Nicolo Canepa.
“He brings a lot of experience to our project, both from within Superbike and his time in Grand Prix racing.
“We are excited to see what he can achieve and look forward to starting our journey together.
“Through the winter, we will continue to work hard on developing the R1 and with Vierge joining Locatelli at Pata Maxus Yamaha and Manzi moving up from Supersport to join Gardner at GYTR GRT Yamaha, we have four young and hungry riders on the bike next year, which is an exciting prospect.”
The 28-year-old previously raced in Moto2, earning multiple podiums and pole positions, signalling a young yet experienced coup for the Japanese marque.
Vierge reportedly previously held discussions with GoEleven Ducati, but the talks evidently did not lead to an agreement.
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