WorldSBK, Sportrik Media - Xavi Vierge secured three top-10 finishes at the Assen round of the 2026 WorldSBK season, including a sixth-place result that marked his and Yamaha’s best dry-weather performance of the campaign so far.
The Spanish rider once again outpaced teammate Andrea Locatelli in dry conditions, continuing a trend observed throughout the early stages of the season. However, 2026 represents Vierge’s first year on the Yamaha package after switching from Honda, meaning adaptation to the characteristics of the YZF-R1 remains an ongoing process.
At Assen, that adaptation showed measurable progress. Locatelli, traditionally strong at the Dutch circuit, delivered a more competitive weekend, finishing all three races inside the top 10. This provided Vierge with a valuable performance reference, contributing to his own development across the weekend.
“Since the beginning, I felt comfortable with the bike. I had good feelings and I was quite fast. This is one of Andrea’s strongest circuits, and he was very quick this weekend. That helps me as well because I can learn from him,” Vierge said after Race 2.
Vierge’s Sunday performances were notably stronger than his Race 1 result on Saturday, where he struggled primarily with front tyre management. An aggressive recovery attempt after a poor start led to excessive tyre degradation, limiting his competitiveness in the opening race.
“On Saturday we struggled a lot. I made a very bad start and tried to fight back, but in doing so I destroyed the front tyre. On Sunday I learned from that, we worked on the starts and that made the race much easier,” he explained.
Improved start execution and better tyre management allowed Vierge to utilize his riding strengths more effectively, maintaining consistent pace over race distance. These elements proved crucial in securing stable results throughout the weekend.
Despite the progress, Vierge acknowledged that a performance gap to the leading group remains. He emphasized that the current phase is still part of a broader development process, with Assen marking only his third race weekend with Yamaha.
With a solid foundation established, the focus now shifts to closing the gap to the front runners. The consistency shown at Assen represents a positive indicator for Yamaha’s ongoing development trajectory in the 2026 WorldSBK season.
Baca Juga
Xavi Vierge tampil konsisten di Assen WorldSBK 2026 dengan hasil top 10 dan finis keenam, mengungguli Andrea Locatelli.
Sam Lowes menilai dirinya satu-satunya penantang duet Ducati di WorldSBK Assen 2026 setelah meraih tiga podium beruntun.
Miguel Oliveira menjelaskan perbedaan teknis Pirelli dan Michelin jelang MotoGP 2027, fokus pada tekanan ban, karakter karkas, dan dampak
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