Introducing Yamaha’s Factory and Supported Teams and Riders for 2021

February 19, 2021 – The racing history of Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. began 10 days after the company was founded on July 1, 1955. Our first foray into international racing came in 1958 with an entry in the Catalina Grand Prix, and our first full Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season followed in 1961. As such, the 2021 season marks our 60th anniversary of racing at the Grand Prix level. In those 60 years, we have worked with a star-studded lineup of riders in our racing challenge, notching up 511 wins in total (47 in the 125cc class, 165 in 250cc, 63 in 350cc, 120 in 500cc and 116 in MotoGP) with 38 Rider titles, 37 Constructor titles, and 7 Team titles in all. With the global COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, measures were put in place to prevent the spread so that various championships could go ahead, and Yamaha was able to compete in MotoGP as planned. YZR-M1s swept the podium at the Andalucia Grand Prix and Yamaha continued to put up strong results throughout the season, with 7 wins and 12 podiums in 14 races. The 2020 season also included Yamaha title wins in the premier JSB1000 class of the All Japan Road Race Championship, the MotoAmerica Superbike class, the 250SX West class in AMA Supercross and the 250MX class in the AMA Motocross Championship. The burden COVID-19 has placed on the world is expected to remain well into 2021, but Yamaha will continue its racing efforts toward furthering our three main principles of raising the value of the Yamaha brand, incorporating technologies and feedback from racing into our products, and promoting the healthy spread of motorcycle racing. As part of this, we will work in coordination with our bLU cRU amateur racing support programmes run by our subsidiaries in countries around the world to continue discovering and developing young, promising riders of various nationalities and helping them step up through the ranks of racing. For initiatives on a global scale, this year we will again run the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp, which is held in cooperation with ’s VR46 Riders Academy, to develop riders who can compete at the international level, and again send riders to compete in the CEV Moto2 European Championship. The goal with these activities is to promote the spread of motorcycle racing in each region and train riders that will stand as leaders in their respective countries, while at the same time contributing to the motorcycle business of each subsidiary and raising the value of the Yamaha brand as a whole. YAMAHA MOTOR CO., LTD. Motor Sports Strategy Division Headquarters: 2500 Shingai, Iwata-city, Shizuoka 438-8501, Japan TEL: +81-538-37-4025 FAX: +81-538-32-3186 https://global.yamaha-motor.com/race/ Road Racing

In Yamaha’s 60th season in the premier series of motorcycle road racing, a total of four riders on two teams will be aiming for the MotoGP Triple Crown of Rider, Constructor and Team titles in 2021.

The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP team will have a new lineup this year, as 6th place finisher Maverick Viñales, who took one win and two podiums last season, is joined by a new teammate in , who took three wins and finished 8th overall last year.

In 2020, the satellite PETRONAS Yamaha took six wins and eight podiums, and remains with the team after finishing a personal-best season in the runner-up spot. Racing legend Valentino Rossi joins the Malaysia-based squad this year to compete in his 26th season of Grand Prix racing.

The Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team’s Toprak Razgatlioglu completed his best-ever season in 2020 with 4th overall. He will line up alongside 2020 World Supersport Champion Andrea Locatelli, who dominated the 600cc series with 12 wins from 15 races.

Garrett Gerloff finished on the podium three times last season and will be lining up for the GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team once again. The American is paired with rising Japanese star Kohta Nozane, who took seven wins on his way to winning his first All Japan JSB1000 title last year. All four riders will be aiming to win the first title for Yamaha in the class since 2009.

In the 2019-2020 Endurance World Championship (EWC), the YART Yamaha Official EWC Team finished as vice champion with two victories. Contesting on the YZF-R1, the team will feature the same trio of riders as last season, with Karel Hanika, Marvin Fritz and Niccolò Canepa looking to have another strong showing this season.

The AMA/FIM North American Motorcycle Road Racing Championship (MotoAmerica) will feature the Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha Racing team competing on YZF-R1s in the premier Superbike class with 2020 championship runner-up Jake Gagne and new addition Josh Herrin. Yamaha has won the title three years in a row and the team’s goal is to take that number to four in 2021.

In addition to our racing campaigns, Yamaha Motor will continue our work to train up-and- coming riders in step with the bLU cRU rider support programmes run by our subsidiaries around the world. In cooperation with Valentino Rossi’s VR46 Riders Academy, the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp rider development project has been held since 2016 to train and develop young talent. Last year, its activities were put on hold due to COVID-19, but it will resume holding camps in 2021 after a yearlong absence.

To date, 41 riders from 15 countries—mainly from Southeast Asia and Europe—have attended the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp and several have gone on to compete in international championships, demonstrating the success of the project. Indonesian rider and Master Camp graduate Galang Hendra Pratama is set to once again ride in the World Supersport Championship this season. Also, in tandem with the project, the VR46 Master Camp Junior Team competes in the CEV Moto2 European Championship to give promising riders the chance to advance their careers, and this season, Thai riders Peerapong Boonlert and Keminth Kubo will race for the team.

The Asia Road Racing Championship is scheduled to get underway in June 2021, but the team and rider lineups are still being finalized. An official announcement will be made once they have been decided.

2 Motocross/Supercross

The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP team will represent Yamaha in the premier MXGP class of the Motocross World Championship. Runner-up the past two years, Jeremy Seewer will once again ride for the team alongside teammate Glen Coldenhoff, who finished 8th overall last year, and Ben Watson, who steps up from the MX2 class for his 450cc debut season in 2021. All three riders have their sights set on winning Yamaha its first title in the class since 2015 aboard their YZ450F machines. The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team will contest the MX2 class in 2021 with Jago Geerts, who finished 2nd overall last season, Maxime Renaux, last year’s 3rd place finisher, and European Motocross Champion (EMX250) Thibault Benistant. All three will pilot YZ250Fs. Having kicked off on January 16, the AMA Supercross Championship has already held several rounds. The Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing 450/250 Team is competing on YZ450Fs in the premier class with Aaron Plessinger, who ended last year in 11th, Dylan Ferrandis, who makes his 450cc debut with two 250SX West titles and one 250MX title under his belt, and Malcolm Stewart in his third season of 450SX action. In the 250SX classes, Justin Cooper and Colt Nichols remain with the team from last season, while two-time 250SX champion Jeremy Martin, Christian Craig, Jarrett Frye and Nate Thrasher join the team for 2021 to complete a six-rider lineup. Their goal is none other than to secure both the East and West 250SX titles this season on their YZ250Fs. The Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing team will also compete in the AMA Motocross Championship set to begin on May 30. Plessinger and Ferrandis will ride YZ450F machines in the 450MX class, while Cooper, Nichols, Martin, Craig, Frye and Thrasher will all contest the 250MX class on YZ250Fs.

3 Main Yamaha Race Teams for 2021

Road Racing

Rider(s) Team(s) Machine

MotoGP World Championship

#12 Maverick Viñales Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP #20 Fabio Quartararo YZR-M1 #21 Franco Morbidelli PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team #46 Valentino Rossi

World Superbike Championship

#54 Toprak Razgatlıoğlu Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team #55 Andrea Locatelli YZF-R1 #31 Garrett Gerloff GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team #3 Kohta Nozane

Endurance World Championship

#7 Karel Hanika #7 Marvin Fritz YART Yamaha Official EWC Team YZF-R1 #7 Niccolò Canepa

MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship

#32 Jake Gagne Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha YZF-R1 #2 Josh Herrin Racing

4 Motocross/Supercross

Rider(s) Team(s) Machine

MXGP World Championship

#91 Jeremy Seewer #259 Glenn Coldenhoff Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP YZ450F #919 Ben Watson

MX2 World Championship

#193 Jago Geerts #959 Maxime Renaux Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 YZ250F #198 Thibault Benistant

AMA Supercross: 450cc Class

#7 Aaron Plessinger #14 Dylan Ferrandis Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing 450 Team YZ450F #27 Malcolm Stewart

AMA Supercross: 250cc Class

#6 Jeremy Martin #32 Justin Cooper #29 Christian Craig Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing 250 Team YZ250F #64 Colt Nichols #59 Jarrett Frye #91 Nate Thrasher

AMA Motocross: 450cc Class

#7 Aaron Plessinger Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing 450 Team YZ450F #14 Dylan Ferrandis

AMA Motocross: 250cc Class

#6 Jeremy Martin #32 Justin Cooper #29 Christian Craig Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing 250 Team YZ250F #64 Colt Nichols #59 Jarrett Frye #91 Nate Thrasher

5 2021 Rider Profiles

Road Racing

MotoGP World Championship

#12 Maverick Viñales Nationality: Spanish Born: Jan. 12, 1995 Racing team: Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Racing career 2011: 3rd in MotoGP World Championship 125cc class 2012: 3rd in Moto3 World Championship 2013: Moto3 World Champion 2014: 3rd in Moto2 World Championship 2015: 12th in MotoGP World Championship 2016: 4th in MotoGP World Championship 2017: 3rd in MotoGP World Championship 2018: 4th in MotoGP World Championship 2019: 3rd in MotoGP World Championship 2020: 6th in MotoGP World Championship

#20 Fabio Quartararo Nationality: French Born: April 20, 1999 Racing team: Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Racing career 2015: 10th in Moto3 World Championship 2016: 13th in Moto3 World Championship 2017: 13th in Moto2 World Championship 2018: 10th in Moto2 World Championship 2019: 5th in MotoGP World Championship 2020: 8th in MotoGP World Championship

6 #21 Franco Morbidelli Nationality: Italian Born: Dec. 4, 1994 Racing team: PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team Racing career 2014: 11th in Moto2 World Championship 2015: 10th in Moto2 World Championship 2016: 4th in Moto2 World Championship 2017: Moto2 World Champion 2018: 15th in MotoGP World Championship 2019: 10th in MotoGP World Championship 2020: 2nd in MotoGP World Championship

#46 Valentino Rossi Nationality: Italian Born: Feb. 16, 1979 Racing team: PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team Racing career 1996: 9th in MotoGP World Championship 125cc class 1997: MotoGP World Champion, 125cc class 1998: 2nd in MotoGP World Championship 250cc class 1999: MotoGP World Champion, 250cc class 2000: 2nd in MotoGP World Championship 500cc class 2001: MotoGP World Champion, 500cc class 2002: MotoGP World Champion 2003: MotoGP World Champion 2004 MotoGP World Champion 2005: MotoGP World Champion 2006: 2nd in MotoGP World Championship 2007: 3rd in MotoGP World Championship 2008: MotoGP World Champion 2009: MotoGP World Champion 2010: 3rd in MotoGP World Championship 2011: 7th in MotoGP World Championship 2012: 6th in MotoGP World Championship 2013: 4th in MotoGP World Championship 2014: 2nd in MotoGP World Championship 2015: 2nd in MotoGP World Championship 2016: 2nd in MotoGP World Championship 2017: 5th in MotoGP World Championship 2018： 3rd in MotoGP World Championship 2019: 7th in MotoGP World Championship 2020: 15th in MotoGP World Championship

7 World Superbike Championship

#54 Toprak Razgatlıoğlu Nationality: Turkish Born: Oct. 16, 1996 Racing team: Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team Racing career 2014: 13th in European Superstock 600 Championship 2015: European Superstock 600 Champion 2016: 5th in FIM Superstock 1000 Cup 2017: 2nd in FIM Superstock 1000 Cup 2018: 9th in World Superbike Championship 2019: 5th in World Superbike Championship 2020: 4th in World Superbike Championship

#55 Andrea Locatelli Nationality: Italian Born: Oct. 16, 1996 Racing team: Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team Racing career 2014: Contested Moto3 Championship 2015: 20th in Moto3 World Championship 2016: 9th in Moto3 World Championship 2017: 28th in Moto2 World Championship 2018: 15th in Moto2 World Championship 2019: 18th in Moto2 World Championship 2020: World Supersport Champion

8 #31 Garrett Gerloff Nationality: American Born: Aug. 1, 1995 Racing team: GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team Racing career 2015: 3rd in MotoAmerica Supersport Championship 2016: MotoAmerica Supersport Champion 2017： MotoAmerica Supersport Champion 2018： 5th in MotoAmerica Supersport Championship 2019： 3rd in MotoAmerica Supersport Championship 2020： 11th in World Superbike Championship

#3 Kohta Nozne Nationality: Japanese Born: Oct. 29, 1995 Racing team: GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team Racing career 2010: 9th in All Japan Road Race Championship J-GP3 class 2011: 7th in All Japan Road Race Championship J-GP2 class 2012: 3rd in All Japan Road Race Championship J-GP2 class 2013: All Japan J-GP2 Champion 2014: 8th in All Japan Road Race Championship JSB1000 class 2015: 7th in All Japan Road Race Championship JSB1000 class 2016: 5th in All Japan Road Race Championship JSB1000 class 2017： 5th in All Japan Road Race Championship JSB1000 class 2018： 4th in All Japan Road Race Championship JSB1000 class 2019： 3rd in All Japan Road Race Championship JSB1000 class 2020： All Japan JSB1000 Champion

9 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship

#32 Jake Gagne Nationality: American Born: Aug. 27, 1993 Racing team: Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha Racing Racing career 2015: MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Champion 2016: 10th in MotoAmerica Superbike Championship 2017: 24th in World Superbike Championship 11th in MotoAmerica Superbike Championship 2018: 17th in World Superbike Championship 2019: 8th in MotoAmerica Superbike Championship 2020： 2nd in MotoAmerica Superbike Championship

#2 Josh Herrin Nationality: American Born: May 23, 1990 Racing team: Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha Racing Racing career 2006： 11th in AMA Supersport Championship 2007： 7th in AMA Supersport Championship 2008： 5th in AMA Supersport Championship 2009： 2nd in AMA Pro Daytona Sportbike Championship 2010： 3rd in AMA Pro Daytona Sportbike Championship 2011： 2nd in AMA Pro Daytona Sportbike Championship 2012： 4th in AMA Superbike Championship 2013： AMA Superbike Champion 2014： Contested Moto2 World Championship 2015： 2nd in MotoAmerica Supersport Championship 2016： 5th in MotoAmerica Superbike Championship MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Champion 2017： 8th in MotoAmerica Superbike Championship 2018： 3rd in MotoAmerica Superbike Championship 2019： 5th in MotoAmerica Superbike Championship 2020： 6th in MotoAmerica Superbike Championship

10 Motocross/Supercross

MXGP World Championship

#91 Jeremy Seewer Nationality: Swiss Born: July 18, 1994 Racing team: Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Racing career 2014: 10th in MX2 World Championship 2015: 5th in MX2 World Championship 2016: 2nd in MX2 World Championship 2017: 2nd in MX2 World Championship 2018: 8th in MXGP World Championship 2019: 2nd in MXGP World Championship 2020: 2nd in MXGP World Championship

#259 Glenn Coldenhoff Nationality: Dutch Born: Feb. 13, 1991 Racing team: Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Racing career 2013: 5th in MX2 World Championship 2014: 13th in MX2 World Championship 2015: 8th in MXGP World Championship 2016: 7th in MXGP World Championship 2017: 10th in MXGP World Championship 2018: 7th in MXGP World Championship 2019: 3rd in MXGP World Championship 2020: 8th in MXGP World Championship

#919 Ben Watson Nationality: British Born: June 5, 1997 Racing team: Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Racing career 2018: 4th in MX2 World Championship 2019: 10th in MX2 World Championship 2020: 5th in MX2 World Championship

11 AMA Supercross/Motocross Championships: 450cc Class

#7 Aaron Plessinger Nationality: American Born: Jan. 25, 1996 Racing team: Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing 450 Team Racing career 2015: 5th in AMA Supercross 250cc West Division 6th in AMA Motocross 250cc class 2016: 2nd in AMA Supercross 250cc East Division 5th in AMA Motocross 250cc class 2017: 3rd in AMA Supercross 250cc West Division 4th in AMA Motocross 250cc class 2018: AMA Supercross 250cc West Division Champion AMA Motocross 250cc Champion 2019: 16th in AMA Supercross 450cc class 21st in AMA Motocross 450cc class 2020: 11th in AMA Supercross 450cc class 7th in AMA Motocross 450cc class

#14 Dylan Ferrandis Nationality: French Born: May 31, 1994 Racing team: Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing 450 Team Racing career 2012: 10th in MX2 World Championship 2013: 9th in MX2 World Championship 2014: 4th in MX2 World Championship 2015: 15th in MX2 World Championship 2016: 7th in MX2 World Championship 2017: 5th in AMA Supercross 250cc West Division 6th in AMA Motocross 250cc class 2018: 21st in AMA Supercross 250cc East Division 8th in AMA Motocross 250cc class 2019: AMA Supercross 250cc West Division Champion 2nd in AMA Motocross 250cc class 2020: AMA Supercross 250cc West Division Champion AMA Motocross 250cc Champion

12 #27 Malcolm Stewart Nationality: American Born: Oct. 27, 1992 Racing team: Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing 450 Team Racing career 2011: 8th in AMA Supercross Lites East Division 11th in AMA Motocross 250cc class 2012: 10th in AMA Supercross Lites East Division 11th in AMA Motocross 250cc class 2013: 10th in AMA Supercross 250cc West Division 13th in AMA Motocross 450cc class 2014: 6th in AMA Supercross 250cc West Division 16th in AMA Motocross 450cc class 2015: 7th in AMA Supercross 250cc West Division 2016: AMA Supercross 250cc West Division Champion 2017: 15th in AMA Supercross 450cc class 2018: 11th in AMA Supercross 450cc class 2019: 30th in AMA Supercross 450cc class 2020: 7th in AMA Supercross 450cc class

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