A major shake-up unfolded in the WorldSBK paddock when Bahattin Sofuoglu unexpectedly terminated his superbike agreement with Motoxracing to make a return to the Supersport World Championship with the QJ team. This sudden departure paved the way for Twan Smits, who stepped up from the Euro Moto setup to take over the vacant Yamaha R1 previously ridden by the Turkish rider. The sudden transition forced the young Dutchman to skip the IDM season finale at Hockenheim, ultimately costing him third place in the standings to Markus Reiterberger.
Despite giving up his domestic championship fight, stepping up to the world stage allowed Smits to gather crucial telemetry and racing experience across the Cremona, Estoril, and Jerez rounds. Impressed by his rapid adaptation, the Yamaha-backed squad has officially signed the 22-year-old to partner Mattia Rato, who will contest his second consecutive superbike campaign with Motoxracing next season.
Reflecting on his steep learning curve, Smits expressed satisfaction with the trajectory of his performance after closing out the final race weekend on a high note. Coming to grips with world-class electronics, tyre degradation, and chassis setup proved to be a challenging yet rewarding puzzle. "We are ending the season with a major step in the right direction," Smits stated following the season finale. "There were a few difficult weeks, but on the final race day, we made a solid leap forward. A huge thank you to everyone who helped make this journey possible."
The young talent acknowledged the surreal feeling of sharing the grid with established world-class competitors and enjoying every moment of the intense paddock environment. Building on this momentum is the primary objective as the team prepares for the upcoming campaign. "I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to experience this paddock and I have enjoyed every single moment of it. I look forward to continuing our collaboration and hopefully making great progress throughout 2027," he added.
Prior to securing the permanent seat, Smits had already sampled the championship machinery during a wildcard appearance with Euro Moto Apreco at Assen, securing a season-best 16th place finish during Race 2 at the Cremona Circuit. Hopes are now high within the privateer Yamaha garage that further technical developments and balancing regulations will help them unlock even more competitive pace.
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