After winning the Best Independent Team and Best Independent Rider titles in 2021, the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team have retained both Garrett Gerloff and Kohta Nozane for the 2022 season, with targets of regular podium results.
The 2017 season saw an incredible debut year for the 2017 R6, as GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team managed to complete the clean-sweep of titles in one of the most competitive classes on the planet. 28-year-old French rider Lucas Mahias took on all-comers to become the FIM Supersport World Champion, while his teammate Federico Caricasulo, race-winner in Thailand, finished the season in an encouraging fifth place as he also impressed on the new R6, and meant that GRT lifted the Team title and Yamaha claimed the Manufacturer's crown.
In 2018 Mahias and Caricasulo finished second and fifth in the championship respectively, having racked up eight pole positions, 12 podium finishes and four race wins between them over the course of the season. It was enough to secure GRT Yamaha the Team title for the second consecutive year and the results made a significant contribution to Yamaha again claiming the Manufacturer's crown.
The 2019 season saw a major change as GRT Yamaha stepped up to contest the Superbike World Championship with reigning Supersport World Champion Sandro Cortese and veteran Marco Melandri, yielding two podium finishes for Melandri. With Yamaha Motor Europe retaining full responsibility for racing strategy and technical development for the collaboration, the GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team brought in ex-125 and 250 Grand Prix World Championship rider Mirko Giansanti as its Sporting and Technical Director, with Filippo Conti alongside as Team Manager.
In 2020 the team’s name changed to GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team in line with their role, acting as a gateway for young Yamaha riders graduating through the bLU cRU program to make the step to WorldSBK. With new rider Gerloff, the team showed great promise and ended the season with three podiums.
In 2021, Nozane joined Gerloff at the team, with the two helping GRT Yamaha claim the Best Independent Team title. The American also finished as the top Independent rider, taking two podiums, including a best result of second at Donington Park. 2022 saw Gerloff add another podium to his tally in Barcelona, but he and the team narrowly missed out on retaining the Independent titles.
For 2023, former MotoGP rider Remy Gardner and double FIM Supersport World Champion Dominique Aegerter will race for the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team, with goals of challenging for podiums and victories.
