Yamaha turns the page after Rea: Vierge impresses in testing, but caution is advised

Enthusiasm in the Yamaha garage for how Vierge’s tests went: but what happened with Rea serves as a lesson.

The two-year stint with Jonathan Rea fell short of Yamaha’s expectations, and the brand turned the page by deciding to sign Xavi Vierge. The Catalan rider has four years of Superbike with Honda under his belt and cannot be said to have particularly impressed, but both he and Iker Lecuona had to contend with a CBR1000RR-R that was not easy to bring to the front. The first tests with the R1 were quite promising, although it’s too early to draw conclusions.

On Wednesday and Thursday some SBK teams lapped at Jerez, and Pata Maxus Yamaha was there with the Locatelli-Vierge duo. The former HRC rider ended up with the second-best time (1'38"058), 234 thousandths behind leader Alex Lowes on the Bimota. A total of 132 laps across the two days, more useful experience after the very first test held right after the final race weekend at Jerez, when his best lap was a 1'39"136.

Vierge improved a lot compared to his debut on the R1, integrated well in the garage, and together with Locatelli tried to provide precise feedback to the engineers on Yamaha’s updates. He couldn’t speak, as he is still under contract with Yamaha, but team manager Paul Denning said he was very satisfied: "Xavi continues to amaze after only his third day ever on the Yamaha R1 WorldSBK: second fastest overall, just two tenths off the best time, and setting his personal best lap at Jerez on both race and qualifying tires. Consistent pace, great feedback: a happy rider and a happy team." The atmosphere in the garage is positive.

Rea’s first tests at Jerez were also encouraging, with the six-time Superbike world champion offering high praise for the R1 at the time. Then we know the two years with Yamaha didn’t go as he imagined. It must be said that some crashes played an important role. The two at Phillip Island in 2024, the first in testing and the other in Race 2, certainly sapped his confidence. Then in Race 1 at Magny-Cours he injured his right thumb and missed the rest of the weekend. Of course, the worst happened on the first day of testing at Phillip Island at the start of 2025: a fall at Turn 2 and multiple fractures to his left foot that prevented him from taking part in the first three rounds of the Championship. This certainly conditioned his year, which ended with another injury at the final event in Jerez.

The Pata Maxus Yamaha team hopes Vierge has a far better fate than Rea. Obviously, it’s better to start positively, but we shouldn’t get too excited about winter tests carried out in particular conditions. Moreover, on Wednesday and Thursday, a large part of the grid was missing and there were riders debuting with new teams and bikes. It’s better not to get carried away with easy enthusiasm at this moment, even if it’s fair to point out that the Catalan rider’s first steps in the Yamaha world have been encouraging for the future.