The Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team is the main weapon in Yamaha’s fight for the World Superbike Championship. Owned by Yamaha Motor Europe, the team is based at Gerno di Lesmo, Italy, only a stone’s throw from the Monza circuit and next door to the Yamaha MotoGP team.

The team was founded in 1992 by Belgarda SpA and was privately operated until 1995, when it evolved into a Yamaha Factory team. The team competed in the WSB championship from 1995 to 2000, initially with the YZF750SP and latterly with the cult YZF-R7 machine. Following a few years out of the WSB paddock, Yamaha re-entered the championship in 2005 under the guise of the Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team and with the YZF-R1 as the tool of choice.

In 2007 Yamaha won the prestigious manufacturers title for the first time after an impressive season of racing with riders Noriyuki Haga and Troy Corser battling it out for points and podiums. The riders ended the championship 2nd and 5th respectively. The team went on to bring in equally impressive results in 2008, with Corser finishing the championship in 2nd position and Haga right behind in 3rd place. For 2009 the team came under the full ownership of Yamaha Motor Europe and was so re-named the Yamaha World Superbike Team.

2009 saw the Yamaha World Superbike team welcome one of the world’s hottest young talents in three-time AMA Superbike champion Ben Spies alongside rising British Superbike star Tom Sykes. Both riders got to grips with the then all-new 2009 R1 quickly and it was at the hands of Spies that Yamaha finally realized their first rider World Superbike Championship title with an incredible season. By the end of the 2009 Spies had established himself as the all-time greatest rookie the series had ever seen, amassing an incredible 14 race wins, 17 podiums and 11 pole position starts on his way to victory.

2010 sees the arrival of two British riders very familiar to Yamaha racing fans, James Toseland moves across from the Tech3 MotoGP Team and 2009 reigning World Supersport champion Cal Crutchlow moves up from the Yamaha World Supersport Team.

The team set up continues for 2010 under the guidance of team manager Massimo Meregalli, who was himself one of the riders who contested the World Supersport Championship with Yamaha between 1996 and 2000. The team is joined by British crew chief Francesco Carchedi who moves over from the British Superbike Championship to work with James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow’s German crew chief Marcus Eschenbacher moves up with him from the Yamaha World Supersport Team for 2010.

A dedicated team of technicians, data analysts and electronics experts are continuing to develop the 2010 YZF-R1. Developed directly from the championship dominating Yamaha M1 MotoGP bike and launched onto the tracks for the first time last year, it will continue to be honed and improved over the 2010 race season.