Testing in Spain for two top Yamaha teams in the FIM Endurance World Championship

YART and Elf Marc VDS/KM99 Racing Team: two top Yamaha teams from the FIM EWC met in Spain for the first tests of 2026.

While awaiting the 24 Heures Motos Le Mans scheduled for April 18–19, several top teams from the FIM EWC Endurance World Championship gathered in Spain for the first tests of the new year. Preceded at the end of 2025 by F.C.C. TSR Honda and Yoshimura SERT Motul Suzuki (who hit the track at Okayama in Japan), powerhouses like YART Yamaha and the Elf Marc VDS/KM99 Racing Team Yamaha returned to action on the Old Continent to begin preparing for the 2026 season.

The reigning FIM EWC World Champion, YART Yamaha carried out a double outing this week on the Iberian Peninsula between Jerez de la Frontera and Almeria. The reference structure for the House of the Three Tuning Forks tried several set-up solutions, proudly displaying the number 1 on the fairing of its R1 for the first time since 2024. Speaking of new features, alongside the confirmed Marvin Fritz and Karel Hanika, the newly signed Leandro "Tati" Mercado made his debut with YART (in the opening photo). As announced on November 11, the 2014 Superstock 1000 international champion will take the place of Jason O'Halloran, who in turn has returned to the British Superbike with Honda Racing UK after just one—albeit triumphant—season.

The KM99 Yamaha team was also back in action at the Almeria Circuit, having become in just a few years one of the best independent outfits in the FIM EWC paddock. Sporting the distinctive livery born from the partnership with Elf Marc VDS Racing Team, the #99 R1 will once again be entrusted to the French duo of Florian Marino and Randy De Puniet, supported by our Alessandro Delbianco, promoted to full-time rider in place of Jeremy Guarnoni. After serving last season as the fourth rider (but still contesting the Bol d'Or following De Puniet’s last-minute withdrawal), for the 2025 Italian Superbike Champion the primary program this year will be Endurance. This will come at the expense of his parallel commitment in the CIV (still with Yamaha), meaning he will be unable to defend the title due to two clashes with the national calendar.

While former Moto2 rider Bo Bendsneyder has been named as the new “reserve” for the main lineup, the big topic within KM99 has been tires. The Belgian squad has decided to embrace Bridgestone as their new technical partner for the 2026 FIM EWC, replacing Dunlop. The two-day test in Almeria thus marked the beginning of their partnership with the Japanese manufacturer, immediately yielding positive impressions. This switch will allow KM99 to align with the five factory teams (YART Yamaha, Yoshimura SERT Motul Suzuki, F.C.C. TSR Honda, BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team, and Kawasaki Webike TRICKSTAR).