21/10/2026
🆕📰 Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team Confirms Mattia Rato and Twan Smits for 2027
The Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team confirms Mattia Rato and Twan Smits for the 2027 season, continuing its partnership with Yamaha for the sixth consecutive year in WorldSBK.
For the new season, both YZF-R1 machines will receive significant technical upgrades to the latest available specification, allowing the team to build on the work carried out in 2026 and aim for more competitive performances.
Following a debut season marked by steady progress, Rato will continue developing his experience and strong relationship with the team. Smits, who joined for the final three rounds of 2026 and has been strongly supported by Yamaha’s BLU CRU talent program, will compete in his first full WorldSBK season.
The confirmation of both riders strengthens a project focused on developing young talent and achieving greater consistency in the World Championship.
Sandro Carusi | Team Principal 🗣️ “For 2027, we’ve chosen to build on our work with Mattia and Twan. Mattia made significant progress and developed a strong bond with the team, while Twan’s approach and qualities convinced us to trust him for a full season. Yamaha’s technical upgrades represent confidence in our project and give us additional motivation. Special thanks to Yamaha for supporting Twan’s arrival, and to all our sponsors and partners for their continued trust.”
🇮🇹Mattia Rato🇮🇹 🗣️ “I’m very happy to continue my journey with Motoxracing. This is exactly what I was hoping for, as I want to build on the work we started this year. Overall, it was a positive season, although some races were more challenging than others. Our goal is to improve our results, get closer to the riders ahead and take another step forward in 2027.”
Twan Smits 🗣️ “I’m extremely happy and grateful to continue this journey with Yamaha Motoxracing. A huge thank you goes to everyone involved, especially Yamaha, for making this opportunity possible. I’m lookin