China Is the New Eldorado: Ten Kate Racing Leaves Yamaha for QJ Motor

Yamaha loses another major player in the World Supersport Championship. Ten Kate, the Dutch team run by Roland Ten Kate, will end its partnership with the Iwata manufacturer at the end of the season and race with Chinese brand QJ Motor from 2027. Following Evan Bros’ departure to ZX-Moto a year ago, it is the second leading team to choose a Chinese manufacturer.

The multi-year deal has already been signed. Yamaha was informed in recent days, during the Estoril race weekend.

Since making its official debut in 2024, QJ’s bike development and racing operations have been handled by a subsidiary of Manuel Puccetti’s team. From 2025, however, Puccetti’s squad has also run the factory Kawasakis in Superbike and Supersport, and the workload had become excessive. The partnership will come to an end at Jerez.

QJ wants to increase its investment and start winning, so it sounded out the paddock. In early September at Magny-Cours, it spoke with Orelac Ducati, PTR Triumph, AS Yamaha and Motoxracing Yamaha. The following week, it made its first call to Ten Kate, followed by a visit to Nieuwleusen and a trip by the Dutch delegation to the Chinese factory.

For Ten Kate, this is a huge step. After many years with Honda—first in Supersport and later in Superbike as well—the team switched to Yamaha in 2019, winning world titles with Dominique Aegerter in 2021 and 2022, and with Stefano Manzi in 2025. Back in 2007, the Dutch team had given Honda its most recent World Superbike title, with James Toseland.

QJ will invest more in the category and is building its own racing department at its huge factory in China. The ZX-Moto precedent is significant: with Evan Bros and Valentin Debise, it secured second place in the championship in its very first Supersport season. CF Moto, meanwhile, is set to enter Superbike towards the end of 2027. QJ has therefore fallen behind and is now pushing hard to close the gap, with an eye also on a future Superbike debut. Joining forces with Ten Kate offers the strongest possible assurances, given the Dutch team’s track record.

Ten Kate currently races in Supersport with Okamoto and Can Öncü. The Turkish rider, last year’s runner-up and currently third in the championship, will stay with the team in 2027, making the switch to QJ. According to Speedweek, Moto2 rider Zonta van den Goorbergh is the favourite for the second seat. The team reshuffle will cost Raffaele De Rosa his place, after three years racing with QJ.

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