Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) looks like he has been enjoying getting up to speed with his new team ahead of the 2026 season opener! He and his new teammate, Andrea Locatelli, both appeared on track on Day 1, and while heavy rainfall severely limited what riders could do, Vierge felt it was a positive showing. By the end of the session, while he could only run 19 laps, Vierge’s fastest time was recorded as 1’57.784s, which clocked him at 9^th among 2026 WorldSBK riders.

GLASS HALF FULL: “It’s been a positive start with the team however, and we’re excited for Day 2!”

Fortunately for Vierge, an area he has wanted to work on with his new Yamaha R1 bike is their wet-weather setup; he has been fortunate that there has been no shortage of rainfall so far this preseason. Day 1’s deluge saw the event cut short after riders retired at around 5:30 on account of such heavy precipitation. Day 2 so far hasn’t had active rainfall, but the track remains largely inundated, and later in the day, further rainfall is expected. Rain or shine, Vierge’s positivity seems contagious around his garage, and the team looks forward to 2026 with optimism.

On his Day 1 opener to 2026 with his new Yamaha team, Vierge said: “It has been a special day! My first day in blue! I’m really happy to start. Unfortunately, the weather conditions have not been very good. Our plan was to wait a bit until the temperatures rose a little bit later in the day, but as soon as we started around 13:00, the rain really started to pour, so I wasn’t able to do many laps. It was important, though, to have some time in wet conditions as the bike is new to me; we had a few days last year in the wet, and the feeling was good. We had wanted to do some work in the wet to establish a setup, but the conditions were too wet, so we decided to just save the other half day. We will have to see about Day 2’s conditions before we make a plan. It’s been a positive start with the team however, and we’re excited for Day 2!”

STEP BY STEP: “I feel a lot of progress from last year, and we’re showing good race pace”

Vierge’s move to Pata Maxus Yamaha comes after four strong years with Honda HRC. He, he, alongside his countryman Iker Lecuona, both made moves this offseason. The #7 moved to Aruba.it Racing – Ducati, and Vierge opted for Yamaha blue, joining Pata Maxus Yamaha alongside Andrea Locatelli. He had a few opportunities back in 2025, after the racing season concluded, to get a first feel for the bike, but now, in 2026, at their first official test of the new year together, his work can begin in earnest.

On his ongoing adaptation to the bike, Vierge said: “Since the beginning, I’ve felt like the bike fits my riding style well, especially in wet conditions. I feel a lot of progress from last year, and we’re showing good race pace. It’s been really nice working with the team. I feel like everyone is very professional, and I’ve felt momentum growing from the very beginning. We just need more time, we need to see how the bike and I perform on different tracks, but the first impressions have been very good.”

How will Vierge perform when rubber meets road down under in Phillip Island? Watch every moment live with the WorldSBK VideoPass!