The Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team is the main weapon in Yamaha’s fight for the World Superbike Championship. Owned by Yamaha Motor Europe and Yamaha Motor Italia, the team is based at Gerno di Lesmo, Italy, only a stone’s throw from the Monza circuit and next door to the Yamaha MotoGP team.

The team was founded in 1992 by Belgarda SpA and was privately operated until 1995, when it evolved into a YME factory team. The YME team competed in the WSB championship from 1995 to 2000, initially with the YZF750SP and latterly with the cult YZF-R7 machine. Following a few years out of the WSB paddock, Yamaha re-entered the championship in 2005 under the guise of the Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team and with the YZF-R1 as the tool of choice. In addition to its contention in WSB, the YME team also contested the World Supersport Championship from 1996 to 2003 with notable riders such as James Whitham and the now WSB Team Manager Massimo Meregalli.

There has been one name that has cropped up repeatedly throughout the history of the Yamaha Motor Italia Team – that of Noriyuki Haga. Haga’s first appearance with the team was in 1998, when he rode alongside Scott Russell in the YZF750SP’s final year. The following year Haga’s name became synonymous with the R7 - the pairing of man and machine creating a wild package that wowed the WSB scene. When the team re-entered the championship in 2005 it was only natural that they would ask the Japanese star to return to fold, which he duly did. The rest, they say, is history.

After being paired with Andrew Pitt for two seasons, Haga was joined by two-times WSB Champion Troy Corser in 2007. This pairing proved to be ideal for building the rapport and team efforts between the two sides of the garage with the two riders taking six wins and 18 other podiums to give Yamaha the Manufacturer’s Title in 2007.

This cooperative but competitive team set up continues for 2008 under the guidance of team manager Massimo Meregalli, crew chiefs Sylvano Galbusera and Dave Marton and the dedicated teams of technicians, data analysts and electronics experts.