At the Brianza headquarters in Gerno di Lesmo, the Iwata company presented riders and strategies for this season’s national competitions, including speed and off-road, with Delbianco ready to defend the Civ Superbike title, despite a calendar structured on multiple fronts
A few days from start of the main national championships, Yamaha has opened the doors of its headquarters in Gerno di Lesmo, Brianza, to reveal the drivers and teams that will be protagonists this season. The appointment, officially named Racing Day 2026included both circuit competitions, where last year the house of the three tuning forks swept away titles, and those off-roadequally successful in 2025 with triumphs in cross and in rally. During the day, representatives and riders of the major teams affiliated with the Japanese manufacturer introduced their commitment for the new season, taking the opportunity to also present the bikes with which they will chase their respective goals. Which, in most cases, can only coincide with the category title.
Colombi, Yamaha’s commitment to motorsport and partnerships
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The event opened with the greeting of Andrea Colombicountry manager of the Italian branch of Yamaha Motor Europe, who immediately underlined the centrality that competitions have always had for the brand. “For us, racing is not just a sporting activity but a structured path, which helps talents grow with method, continuity and shared work between teams, riders and technicians – he declared -. Each result is the synthesis of this process, a new point from which to start again towards even greater challenges. With the start of the new season we are renewing a simple promise: investing in motorsport with seriousness and vision, evolving people and vehicles and bringing the best of Yamaha into the race, and then onto the road”. Then followed the tribute to the principals hits of 2025starting with the triumph of Alessandro Delbianco and the Dmr team in the Civ Superbike class up to the Mx1 titles of Isak Gifting and Mx2 of Manuel Iacopi. Colombi also highlighted the important strategic partnerships established by the Japanese company with Airohrepresented in the room by the CEO Martina Locatelliand with Pirelli/Metzelerwith the timely intervention of the racing manager Massimiliano Damiani.
dosoli, the superbike and the news for 2026
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Then it was the turn of a character known above all to Superbike enthusiasts, Andrea Dosolinow motorsport division manager of Yamaha Motor Europe, who after the usual compliments for last year’s successes highlighted how sporting victories contribute to strengthening the brand’s impact on the market. Dosoli then illustrated the organization of the activities racing of Yamaha which has its fulcrum inhub of Gerno, with the exception of MotoGP managed mostly by the parent company in Japan. Also highlighted is the growth and excellent results of the now consolidated company Blue Cru program of Yamaha, dedicated to the growth of young talents: today 928 riders are part of it, of which 10% are girls, with an increase of 13% compared to 2025 and around 50% compared to 2021. Dosoli also highlighted that around half of the current official Yamaha riders in all competitions come from this path. The last emphasis was for the Gytr programlaunched a few years ago, which also makes the technology available to private individuals racing by Yamaha (see the relevant kit for the R9) allowing them to obtain significant results.
Off-road commitment
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The presentation of the Yamaha teams for the Italian off-road championships was anticipated by the intervention of an exceptional guest, the German Kevin Gallas, winner of the last Africa Eco Race in his third rally raid best in his career after a past in trials and enduro. The German then welcomed on stage the stainless Alessandro Botturi, with whom he shared the recent African adventure and who in 2026 will compete again with the Ténéré 700 of the Cf Racing team in the Italian Motorally championship, with Matteo Drusiani as his teammate. Also giving them a hard time will be the Italian GPX rally champion Luca Ghezzi with the Tramelli Racing team. In Italian Motocross instead, the two reigning champions, Gifting (absent in Gerno) and Iacopi, will take to the track, again with the colors of Jk Racing. Leonardo Calandra will instead compete in the Junior Motocross with the Insubria team. In Italian Rally Gpx there will be two riders lined up by Yamaha, Riccardo Taddei with Twins Bike and Jimmy De Nicola with Faieta Motor, while in Flat Trackwith the Ditraverso team led by guru Marco Belli, the two spearheads will be Giulio Bonavita and Nicolas Ricco.
the guide of Niccolò Canepa
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The racing coordinator introduced the presentation of the teams dedicated to the circuits Luca Lassanawho after the essential compliments to those present for the successes of 2025, collected in practically all disciplines, invited everyone to face 2026 with the same spirit and the same desire to do well. Particular hope was given to the debut of the Yamaha R9 in the class Supersport of Civ, following last season’s world championship triumph with Stefano Manzi. The word then passed to Niccolo Canepaex-pilot and since last year road racing sporting manager of Yamaha Motor Europe. The Ligurian ace offered an overview of the Japanese company’s commitment to asphalt racing, emphasizing the massive commitment reserved for the debut of the new R7 in the young Sportbike class. And then it was the turn of another guest of honor, the reigning world champion of the class Supersport Stefano Manzistarting this year in the Superbike world championship with the Gytr Yamaha team. The Roman rider, with Yamaha since 2023, praised the family spirit of the Japanese brand, which accompanied him in his recent rise culminating in last year’s world title with the Ten Kate team.
triple commitment for delbianco
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Yamaha’s 2026 in the speed field can only start from what was its greatest result of last year. The triumph of Alessandro Delbianco and of team Dmr in the Civ Superbike class, arriving in a season literally dominated by the rider from Rimini and his R1, it represented the real icing on the cake of a memorable year for the Japanese brand. In 2026 Delbianco will be busy on multiple fronts with Yamaha: as a rider in the Endurance world championship, as a test rider for the Superbike world championship and, despite racing only 4 of the 6 round expected, in the defense of the crown just conquered in Civil. “In endurance I will have a lot to learn – he commented from the stage – but I have a fantastic team, the tests went well and I can’t wait to get started. However, Italian remains very important for me and I can’t wait to get back on track with the R1 and the Dmr team. This will be the fifth year that I race with them, they are like family to me now”. And the feeling is mutual, as confirmed immediately afterwards by the team manager Valter Durigon.
races on asphalt
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With Delbianco at “half service” in the Civ, Dmr Racing will rely heavily on the new signing Manuel Margaritoa twenty-one year old from Piedmont called to his first season in the renewed Superbike class with the reigning champion bike. The Yamaha contingent in the Civ will be particularly large in the class Supersportwhere there will be two teams in action with the new R9: the Promodriver team, on track with the former Moto3 champion Lorenzo Dalla Porta and the expert Stefano Valtulini, and the Bike e Motor team, which fields the young Matteo Patacca and Raffaele Fusco. In the classroom Sportbike instead there will be the Roc’n’Dea team led by two Italian speed institutions, the multiple Italian champion Massimo Roccoli and the former MotoGP ace Alex De Angelis, who will entrust their R7s to the young Emanuele Cazzaniga and Alessandro Aguilar.
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