History was made in Magny-Cours on Sunday as Yamaha were crowned Manufacturers’ Champions in the FIM Supersport World Championship for a record 11th time, with the all-new R9 storming to the title in its debut season with three rounds remaining.
It has been a dream first season for the new, three-cylinder ‘Next Generation’ World Supersport R9, which this year replaced iconic R6 that propelled Yamaha to 10 manufacturers’ titles.
Having won the last ever race with the R6 in Jerez at the end of the 2024 season, Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) opened the R9’s account with a stunning victory in the Phillip Island season opener back in February, kick-starting what has proved to be a remarkable year for Yamaha in the intermediate class.
Courtesy of Manzi and title rival Can Öncü (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Racing), the R9 has taken an incredible 14 victories from the first 18 races. As well as this impressive number of victories, the R9 has secured 30 podium finishes in the hands of Manzi, Öncü, GMT-94 Yamaha’s Lucas Mahias a replacement rider Alberto Surra, who took a remarkable podium finish on his race debut with Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Racing.
As well as showing as a proven front-runner in its first year, the R9 has also demonstrated its suitability as a platform to propel young talent forward with rookies Aldi Satya Mahendra (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Racing) and Roberto Garcia (GMT-94 Yamaha) both impressing in the WorldSSP class this year with clear podium potential.
Manzi now sits atop of the WorldSSP standings by 69 points as he strives to secure his first world championship crown with Can Öncü in a comfortable second place. Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing and Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Racing are locked in battle for team championship glory, with just 18 points separating them with three rounds remaining.
