GMT94 Yamaha Step As much as WorldSBK with Lorenzo Baldassarri
Three-time FIM Endurance World Champions and FIM Supersport World Championship front-runners GMT94 Yamaha will step as much as the FIM Superbike World Championship in 2023, fielding a latest-spec Yamaha R1 for Lorenzo Baldassarri to kind the GMT94 Yamaha WorldSBK Group.
Having spent the final 5 seasons working the race profitable Yamaha R6 within the intermediate class with Yamaha assist, the GMT94 Yamaha group will now tackle the premier class for the primary time since 2009. Following his spectacular first 12 months in WorldSSP, Yamaha is delighted to signal Baldassarri for the 2023 season, throughout which he’ll race a Yamaha R1 for the French squad.
In the meantime, GMT94 Yamaha will proceed to contest the WorldSSP championship for a sixth consecutive season in 2023, with a single Yamaha R6 for French Supersport Champion Valentin Debise.
Based in 1991, the GMT94 group has an extended and profitable historical past in bike street racing, celebrating its first title within the 1998 French Superbike Championship, which was received by the group’s founder Christophe Guyot. In solely their second EWC season, the group formally introduced itself on the world stage, profitable the 24 Hours of Oschersleben in 2000, and ending second within the last standings.
In 2001, the group took its first of three 24 Hours of Le Mans victories, and after narrowly lacking out on title success all through its first 5 seasons, GMT94, now working Yamaha equipment, was topped the 2004 EWC champions. By the point it bowed out of endurance racing in 2018, the GMT94 Yamaha group had racked up three world titles (including 2014 and 2016-17 to its 2004 championship), 17 wins, together with two Bol D’or victories, and 36 podiums.
It then launched into the WorldSSP championship in 2018, occurring to take seven victories with Jules Cluzel, in addition to 24 podiums, the latest of which got here within the group’s dwelling race at Magny-Cours this 12 months.
Stepping as much as WorldSBK with them, Baldassarri has proven unimaginable pace and consistency in 2022, profitable 4 races together with on his debut at Aragón, and 14 podiums. The Italian at the moment sits second within the standings, and with three rounds remaining is effectively within the hunt for the title.
Previous to this season, Baldassarri was effectively established contained in the Grand Prix paddock. Having made his debut within the 2013 Moto3 season, his unquestionable abilities earned him promotion to the Moto2 World Championship in 2014.
There, he quickly grew to become a daily high 10 finisher, and celebrated his maiden podium on the 2015 Australian spherical in Phillip Island. The next season he added two extra rostrums to his tally, together with a breakthrough victory on the San Marino GP, beating the likes of MotoGP riders Franco Morbidelli, Alex Rins, Takaaki Nakagami and Johann Zarco.
In 2018, Baldassarri took one other victory, this time on the Spanish GP in Jerez, and completed fifth within the Moto2 standings. The next 12 months, the #7 rider kicked off the season with three wins from 4 races, finally ending the 12 months seventh within the standings. ‘Balda’ left the GP paddock in 2021, coming into the WorldSSP championship together with his sights set on WorldSBK.
Andrea Dosoli
Yamaha Motor Europe Street Racing Supervisor
“It’s good to see that our supported group from the WorldSSP championship is stepping as much as WorldSBK. We’ve got seen how profitable this has been prior to now with the GRT Yamaha group, and now we shall be supporting GMT94 Yamaha in the identical means. They’re a group that is aware of what it takes to be aggressive on the high stage, and we count on efficiency right away. Yamaha needed to supply a possibility to one of the best riders in WorldSSP, and with Lorenzo we have now somebody who’s clearly able to make this step. From the primary race, he has impressed us and to be within the title combat in such a aggressive class is an unimaginable achievement in itself. We sit up for having the GMT94 Yamaha WorldSBK Group and Lorenzo on the grid in 2023.”
Lorenzo Baldassarri
GMT94 Yamaha WorldSBK Group
“I’m very joyful, as a result of I began this venture with Yamaha in WorldSSP from Moto2, and my aim was at all times to be in WorldSBK. This 12 months, we’ve had an excellent season, we have now grown collectively and I’m at all times enhancing. I’m prepared for this step into the WorldSBK championship with Yamaha and the GMT94 Yamaha WorldSBK Group, so because of them for giving me this chance; I can’t wait to begin this new problem.”
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