The 2026 WorldSBK season came to a dramatic close at the Jerez Circuit, marked by a determined display from Xavi Vierge as he wrung every ounce of performance from his Yamaha YZF-R1. Following four challenging years with Honda, the Catalan rider's transition to the factory Yamaha squad did not yield the upward trajectory he hoped for amidst an increasingly fierce manufacturer grid. This season finale served as the final chapter of their brief partnership, with his seat already slated for Jack Miller, who makes the switch from the MotoGP paddock for the upcoming campaign.
Throughout the final weekend in southern Spain, Vierge consistently established himself as the benchmark among Yamaha riders across all sessions, despite suffering a crash during the Superpole. His momentum in Saturday's opening race was unfortunately derailed by a technical failure while running securely inside the top eleven positions.
Sunday brought a gritty recovery as the Spaniard secured ninth and twelfth-place finishes to bow out of the team on a resilient note. Reflecting on his short-format success, Vierge noted the strong pace he unlocked during the morning sprint. “Vor allem das Superpole-Race, bei dem wir ein wirklich starkes Tempo hatten. Ich bin mit dem normalen Rennreifen gefahren und konnte mich gut zuruckkampfen, wobei ich unter den ersten Neun mitgekampft habe. Das ist immer schon, denn so startet man das lange Rennen aus den ersten drei Reihen – und das Uberholmanover in der letzten Runde hat sich auch großartig angefuhlt,” he explained regarding his impressive charge through the midfield.
However, the longer feature race exposed the chronic struggles with rear grip as tyre degradation set in over the 20-lap distance. Vierge fought tenaciously inside the top ten for the first ten laps before heavy tyre wear forced him to concede positions. “Wir wussten, dass das Rennen schwer werden wurde, denn das Reifenmanagement uber 20 Runden unterscheidet sich stark von dem uber 10 Runden. Ich hatte einen guten Start und war mit den anderen Fahrern auf Augenhohe, aber Runde um Runde musste ich die Reifen zu sehr beanspruchen, um mithalten zu konnen. Leider wurde ich dann langsamer,” he stated after giving his absolute maximum until the checkered flag.
Vierge concludes the 2026 WorldSBK championship in 13th place overall with 113 points despite enduring nine non-finishes over the course of the calendar. He finished just behind teammate Andrea Locatelli, who led the Yamaha charge in 12th position with 121 points. Looking ahead to the next chapter of his career, Vierge has already secured a high-profile switch to the Barni Racing Ducati squad for the upcoming season.
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