SBK Assen: Vierge keeps Yamaha afloat and dreams of the podium, Locatelli disappoints

The only Yamaha R1 shining at the TT Circuit is Vierge’s; the others are all outside the Superbike top 10: Locatelli disappoints.

After a below-expectations start to the 2026 season, Yamaha is banking heavily on this SBK round at Assen to bounce back. Andrea Locatelli’s 2025 results (2nd, 4th, and 1st in the three races) suggested this could be the right weekend to see the R1s back in strong positions. But after Friday’s free practice, there’s only one rider who truly impressed at the TT Circuit: Xavi Vierge, 5th in the combined FP1-FP2 standings, 5 thousandths behind Danilo Petrucci’s BMW and 410 off leader Nicolò Bulega.

Locatelli is the second-best Yamaha rider, yet he’s only 13th, 989 thousandths off his Ducati compatriot. The GYRT GRT team’s R1s are even further back: Remy Gardner 16th, rookie Stefano Manzi 20th. The Motoxracing bikes, ridden by Bahattin Sofuoglu and debutant Mattia Rato, close out the standings. More was expected from the factory Superbike squads, while it’s more understandable that Sandro Carusi’s outfit might be struggling.

Vierge can only be satisfied with how his free practice sessions went at the TT Circuit: "I’m happy with my first day here, where I had never ridden the Yamaha R1. Right away I felt a good feeling and I kept it throughout the day. The team and I did an excellent job, we were precise with the changes we made, and every time I went back out I was a bit faster. We need to improve in the last sector, but my pace is quite good. This is one of the tracks on the calendar where we could fight for the podium."

The former Honda HRC rider had already been the fastest on the Yamaha R1 in testing, then in the first round at Phillip Island he retired from all the races and did decidedly better at Portimão: 7th, 6th, and 14th (after a crash). At Assen, the minimum goal is to stay within the top 5–6 and capitalize on any chances to get on the podium. Ducati is strong not only with the factory duo Bulega–Lecuona, but also with Lorenzo Baldassarri of the Go Eleven team. Keep an eye on Sam Lowes (7th) and Alvaro Bautista (8th), as well as Petrucci on BMW and Alex Lowes (6th) on Bimota.

If there are smiles on Vierge’s side of the garage, it’s a different story on Locatelli’s: "In the morning and even at the start of FP2 I was quite happy with the bike," the Italian rider explained, "but towards the end of the afternoon session I struggled using the new tyre. Something didn’t work and I couldn’t improve my lap time. I feel a bit better on the bike compared to the last two rounds, but we have a lot of work to do to make a step. It was a bad day, since we weren’t able to improve in the afternoon. Crying isn’t the best way forward, we need to stay positive, we have time to look at the data and work to reset."

Crying is useless; the 2020 Supersport world champion knows he needs to work even harder to raise the level of his performances. Together with his team he will thoroughly analyze all the data, and solutions will be studied to help him be more competitive on the Yamaha R1. Saturday morning’s Superbike FP3 will be crucial, especially for him and for all those riders who finished Friday’s sessions below expectations.