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SPECIAL CONTENT > YAMAHA'S ACTIVITIES YAMAHA R3 SUPERFINALE: PORTIMAO SET TO WELCOME STARS OF THE FUTURE

The Portimao FIM Superbike World Championship round is set to host motorcycle racing’s rising stars of the future from across the world, as the paddock welcomes the inaugural Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European SuperFinale.

Organised by Yamaha Motor Europe and series promoter JiR, with the support from FIM Europe and the Dorna WorldSBK Organisation, the inaugural Yamaha R3 European SuperFinale will pit up to 30 young stars from the various national R3 Cups around the globe.

In the Catalan WorldSBK round, Yamaha also ran

the inaugural R7 SuperFinale, which followed the same format but was available to riders over the age of 18, competing on Yamaha R7 bikes. Michael Girotti came out on top, with the Italian winning a brand new and ready-to-race R7 supersport machine.

The R3 SuperFinale will also allow riders to race in front of the biggest names in WorldSBK, giving them the chance to meet and learn from the likes of reigning champion Toprak Razgatlıoğlu, Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK teammate Andrea Locatelli, GYTR GRT Yamaha Wor-

ldSBK Team’s Garrett Gerloff and Kohta Nozane,

as well as the top bosses from Yamaha and its teams.

Participating riders must be aged 14-18, with riders provided with a race-ready Yamaha YZF-R3 on the Thursday prior to the event.

Following the same format as seen in the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup, the R3 SuperFinale will consist of a 30-minute Free Practice

session on Friday morning, followed by a Superpole qualifying that afternoon of the same length. Both races will take place on Saturday, with 25 points on offer in each.

The overall winner will earn a supported ride in the 2023 Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup, which this year supports six rounds of the WorldSBK championship, allowing young hopefuls to take their first step on the ladder towards the pinnacle of motorcycle road racing.

ANDREA DOSOLI

Yamaha Motor Europe Road Racing Manager

“This is a great opportunity for the best young riders to make the jump from racing in regional and national series, to joining the WorldSBK paddock in the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup, fully supported by Yamaha Motor Europe,” Andrea Dosoli, Yamaha Motor Europe Road Racing Manager. “It will be a great event, as we have already seen at the Cup races this year. We expect the competition to be really close and unpredictable.”

Yamaha has national R3 Cups running across countries worldwide, from Europe, to South America, Asia and Australia. Since 2021, the Ya-

maha R3 bLU cRU European Cup has acted as the next step for these young riders, with youngsters from the United States, Brazil, Thailand, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates and Australia

all featuring in the line-up.

The R3 SuperFinale will give a unique opportunity for one rider, allowing the winner to race in the European Cup for a full campaign, with their entry completely funded by Yamaha Motor Europe. Participants can then benefit from several opportunities, with the eventual champion able to follow in the footsteps of 2021 Cup winner Iker Garcia Abella, and this year’s winner Enzo Valentim into the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship.

“Yamaha Motor Europe, JiR, the FIM and Dorna, have all worked hard to ensure that young riders are given every opportunity to advance to the next stage in their racing career,” Dosoli said. “Already, we’ve seen several riders make the move up from the European Cup to the WorldSSP300 championship, where they have been competitive. The SuperFinale offers a chance for riders who might find it difficult to put the funds together and realise their full potential. We’re looking forward to heading to Portimao, it’s sure to be a great event.”

The global attraction of the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup continues to grow, and Yamaha Motor Europe is committed to ensuring that the R3 SuperFinale grid enjoys the same international presence.