Good news: the 2027 Supersport World Championship will also feature an Austrian

Following two overall victories in the International German Road Racing Championship (IDM) in 2024 and 2025, Andreas Kofler and the Motorsport Kofler team from Austria took the plunge into the Supersport World Championship. Their debut season on the international stage came to an end in mid-October; with a 20th-place finish at Estoril, Andreas achieved his best result of the season in a field of 32 regular riders. It is now confirmed that their journey in the World Championship will continue in 2027. “We are delighted to be continuing our partnership with Yamaha and to be able to represent the German-speaking world in the World Championship,” said team boss Klaus Kofler.

Three German-speaking riders in the 2027 Supersport World Championship

Alongside the Austrian Andy Kofler, a police officer by profession, the German Philipp Öttl (Feel Ducati) and the Swiss Dominique Aegerter ( PTR Triumph) will also be competing in 2027, much to the delight of fans across the DACH region.

The Koflers had endured a few anxious weeks, but ultimately the team from Attnang-Puchheim and its rider successfully completed the application process with promoter Liberty for the coming season and will once again compete in the World Supersport Challenge. This means they will be on the starting grid for every round – with the exception of the two overseas events at the start and end of the season in Australia and China.

Klaus Kofler spent two days this week at the motorbike fair in Milan, maintaining existing contacts and forging new ones. For a private team – in the Koflers’ case, a dynamic family business where everyone pitches in – a World Championship season is particularly challenging and would not be feasible without dedicated supporters such as Isolith Dämmstoffe.

Andy Kofler: A much higher standard than in the IDM

Andreas Kofler completed his first full season in the World Championship in 2026. Expectations were higher, but it quickly became clear just how great the sporting difference is compared to the IDM. “Of course, I’d expected a bit more here and there. The Supersport World Championship has reached its highest standard in many, many years. You can see that above all in the tight margins in qualifying,” explained the 22-year-old.

I had to hold my own in far more close battles than in the IDM.

Andy Kofler

On top of that, Andreas had to switch from the familiar Yamaha R6 with its 600cc inline four-cylinder engine to the R9, which has one fewer cylinder and 290cc more displacement. The season provided valuable experience, but also clearly highlighted the areas where improvements are needed. “I’ve now got to grips with the bike,” noted the Upper Austrian. “The feel got better and better as the season went on, and the last few races went better than the first ones. This season was an important step in my development as a rider. At the start, I didn’t really know how to approach my first full World Championship season. I also had to get used to the long race distances and hold my own in far more close battles than in the IDM.”

Armed with the experience gained and a clear vision of the next steps in his development, his sights are already set on 2027. For Motorsport Kofler and Andreas Kofler, the new season begins in mid-March with the races in Portimão, Portugal. They then intend to put the lessons learnt from their first year to good use and take the next step in the Supersport World Championship. Andreas has already familiarised himself with next year’s tyres from official supplier Michelin at the Pannonia Ring and achieved excellent lap times despite the low temperatures – which gives him confidence.

Teams & Riders, 2027 Supersport World Championship: