Carter Thompson joins WorldSPB
Yesterday, we presented the technical regulations for the new World Sportbike Championship, which will replace WorldSSP300 and sit below World Supersport and WorldSBK, starting from the 2026 season.
Today, we can confirm that a young Australian will be on the inaugural WorldSPB grid, with Carter Thompson securing a berth with the former World Championship-winning BR Corse team for 2026 on a Yamaha YZF-R7.
Eligible WorldSPB models will be controlled to produce approximately 90 hp, giving riders around twice the power of the WorldSSP300 category that WorldSPB replaces.
Engineers from Yamaha Motor Europe Motorsport Research & Development have been working over recent months to develop a race kit for the R7 to meet the new WorldSPB regulations, and the package has already been tested on track in the proven hands of Pata Maxus Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team rider Andrea Locatelli and reigning FIM Supersport World Champion Stefano Manzi.
Niccolò Canepa – Yamaha Motor Europe Road Racing Sporting Manager
“2026 marks an exciting new chapter in World Championship motorcycle racing with the introduction of the new Sportbike class. We already know the R7 is a great platform for racing from the R7 Cup series across Europe and WorldWCR, and the team here at Yamaha Motor Europe Motorsport R&D have been working hard on developing the race kit for the new Sportbike category. Initial tests have been very positive, with both Locatelli and Manzi enjoying the bike a lot. Our aim, as always, is to win, and to do this we have put together a strong rider line-up and are very pleased to have signed 2025 WorldSSP300 runner-up Carter Thompson, a promising young rider with a lot of talent!
“The new Sportbike championship will feature as a core part of Yamaha’s step-up philosophy, with the winner of the R3 BLU CRU World Cup earning a supported ride in this series. Alessandro di Persio will be the first rider to ‘step up’ from the R3 Cup to Sportbike next year, and after a dominant season in the R3 Cup we are looking forward to seeing what he can achieve.”
The inaugural FIM Sportbike World Championship will get underway with round two of the WorldSBK Championship at Portimao, so unfortunately, we will not get to see the youngster strut his stuff at Phillip Island as the category only takes part in the European rounds of the WorldSBK Championship.