The 2025 FIM Superbike World Championship got underway at the iconic Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit this past weekend and it marked an important landmark for Yamaha as the new R9 made its debut in the WorldSSP class.
It was a debut to remember, as Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) took the new Supersport machine to glory in its very first race, crossing the line to take the win on Saturday before rounding out a successful weekend with second on Sunday. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (GMT94 Yamaha), Can Öncü (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Racing), and Lucias Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha), who qualified on the front row, also showed strong pace across the weekend.
In WorldSBK, Andrea Locatelli put together a strong weekend but it was a disappointing start to the year for six-time world champion Jonathan Rea, who was ruled out of the season opener following an injury in the traditional pre-season test.
The Phillip Island weekend also marked the first WorldSBK race for Niccolò Canepa in his new role of Yamaha Motor Europe’s Road Racing Sporting Manager. Hit ‘Read More’ for his thoughts on Round 1.
