Yamaha to run special anniversary livery at Spanish WorldSBK

Yamaha has revealed a special 70th anniversary livery that its official WorldSBK machines will wear at Jerez for the season-closing Spanish Round.

Both the GRT team and the factory Pata Maxus Yamaha squad will run the one-off paint in Jerez, although this will not include Dominique Aegerter who has been declared unfit and will be replaced by Alessandro Delbianco. 

In WorldSSP, newly crowned World Champion Stefano Manzi will also run the red-and-white scheme for the Ten Kate squad.

The livery will only be used on Sunday and is the same one as worn by the Yamaha Racing Team and YART bikes at the Suzuka 8 Hours in August, as well as by the Pramac Yamaha and Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP teams at the Dutch TT at the end of June. As in those occasions, it is appearing to celebrate Yamaha’s 70th birthday.

The livery is perhaps more at home in World Superbike than anywhere else, though, as its inspiration, the 1999 Yamaha R7, was built to compete in the premier class of the production derivative series at the end of the last century.

In the hands of Noriyuki Haga, the bike finished second in the world in 2000, behind only Colin Edwards, despite being disqualified from the second race of the opening round in South Africa and missing the final round at Brands Hatch.

The R1 that succeeded the R7, of course, did what the 750cc bike couldn’t: win the title. Ben Spies was the first aboard the R1 to clinch the World Superbike crown in 2009, and then Toprak Razgatlioglu won the title in 2021.

“We are all very proud to play our part in Yamaha’s 70th anniversary celebrations by running a special 70th anniversary livery inspired by the 1999 YZF-R7 in both WorldSBK and WorldSSP on Sunday,” said Yamaha Motor Europe Division Manager Andrea Dosoli.

“The R7 was a bike that captured the imaginations of fans all over the world, and, of course, was a machine that enjoyed significant success in the Superbike World Championship.

“So, to run these colours here again will be a special moment for us all. 

“Yamaha’s legacy speaks for itself, it is a truly iconic brand, and we are sure that these instantly recognisable colours will evoke emotional memories for a lot of race fans worldwide.”