From R3 to R7: Yamaha gives the World Cup more displacement and more power

No other manufacturer has established such an extensive sponsorship programme as Yamaha. Whether on-road or off-road, the bLUcRU project has become an integral part of the brand, and many of today’s riders owe their World Championship careers not least to the Japanese manufacturer.

2027 will be a memorable year, when the existing R3 World Cup is scrapped after six years and replaced by the R7 World Cup. This development has been on the cards: R7 one-make cups are already being held worldwide, and the 300cc World Championship has been discontinued in favour of the sportbike series. The R7 is homologated for the new entry-level category, albeit in a more high-performance version. Last weekend, Carter Thompson took victory in the second race at Jerez.

As before, the Cup will take place over six weekends as part of the World Superbike Championship. The 2027 rounds are Assen (16–18 April), Aragon (21–23 May), Most (4–6 June), Donington Park (9–11 July), Magny-Cours (3–5 September) and Cremona (24–26 September) – an official test will take place at the Italian circuit in April.

Entries will open shortly. Interested riders can sign up for a newsletter at info@r7worldcup.com. To make the racing series as accessible as possible, the season package costs just 29,000 euros. The price includes the use of a race-ready Yamaha R7, as well as a leather suit, tyres, fuel and entry fees.

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Topic of the week: MotoGP’s new schedule proved highly controversial

In 2027, MotoGP will also enter the 850cc era with a new schedule. It was not so much the changes themselves as the way the decisions were reached that caused a stir. A prime example of: ‘Talking helps’.

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