A great loss: Yamaha is already mourning the passing of Xavier Vierge (29)

The fact that Xavi Vierge – of all people, the fastest Yamaha rider in the 2026 Superbike World Championship – will be riding for another manufacturer next year is a bitter blow for the brand with the crossed triangles in its logo. And it is by no means certain that his successor, Jack Miller, will be able to fill the gap straight away.

Given Yamaha’s current form, the Spaniard really stood out, particularly towards the end of the season. Whilst the highest-placed Yamaha rider in the overall standings , Andrea Locatelli, managed a 13th-place finish as his best result, Vierge secured a seventh and two ninth-place finishes at Estoril and Jerez. And his retirement in the first race at Jerez was due to a mechanical failure.

No wonder, then, that team principal Niccolo Canepa regrets Vierge’s departure to the Ducati customer team Barni Racing. “He never stopped spurring the team on, and his feedback was always precise. We thank him for his commitment and professionalism and wish him all the best for the next stages of his career,” emphasised the former racing driver. “It’s sad to see him go – he has proven throughout the year that he is fast and, above all, that he is a professional and dedicated rider.”

Canepa continued: “Once again, he was the strongest R1 rider at both Estoril and Jerez. At Estoril, he set a strong pace and secured two top-10 finishes, achieving his best result with seventh place in the Superpole Race. He was strong again in Jerez too, battling for top-ten places in all three races – it was great to see his fighting spirit in the Sprint, where he pulled off two impressive manoeuvres on the final lap to secure ninth place and improve his starting position for the final race.”

In the overall standings, Vierge finished 13th with 113 World Championship points; Locatelli came 12th with 121 points. However, the Italian had three fewer retirements.

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