Jonathan Rea’s replacement shown off for first time in Yamaha WorldSBK team launch

Jonathan Rea’s 2026 WorldSBK replacement at Yamaha, Xavi Vierge, has been revealed in his new colours for the first time.

Rea announced his retirement towards the end of the 2025 WorldSBK season and has since made the move to Honda as test rider.

Vierge was signed afterwards to replace the six-time champion, and tested the R1 at Jerez in October, November, and last week on 21–22 January. But he has now been finally shown off in his new colours for this year as Yamaha has unveiled its 2026 livery.

It’s a largely unchanged paint job compared to 2025, with Yamaha’s traditional blue dominating the bodywork as well as the Pata logo that has been present since Crescent became the official Yamaha team in 2015. Maxus also stays on as co-title sponsor.

Vierge partners Andrea Locatelli in 2026 after the Italian took his first victory in WorldSBK last year. It will be Locatelli’s sixth season in the championship since stepping up from Supersport – where he became champion in 2020 – in 2021, and all six will have been spent with the factory Yamaha team.

GRT Yamaha

At GRT Yamaha, which was launched at the same time as the factory team for 2026, 2025 Supersport World Champion Stefano Manzi moves into the team which let go of Dominique Aegerter at the end of last season. 

Alongside Manzi will be 2021 Moto2 World Champion Remy Gardner, the Australian heading into his fourth season in WorldSBK and his fourth with the Italian GRT team, with which he has two podiums, both coming at Assen.

Like the Pata team, there are few changes to the GRT team’s livery, although the loss of Aegerter now means both bikes are identical in their paintwork which differed slightly in previous years thanks to the Swiss rider’s personal sponsor IXS. There is some added yellow, though, with the arrival of Secursafe Vigilanza on the front and side of the fairing.