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Yamaha has announced that Dominique Aegerter, the double World Supersport Champion, will continue to ride for the brand in 2024. However, the team he will be joining has yet to be disclosed.
With Toprak Razgatlioglu's departure from Yamaha at the end of 2023 to join BMW, a vacancy opened up in Yamaha's WorldSBK lineup. Aegerter, in his first year in WorldSBK, has been riding alongside Remy Gardner in the GRT Yamaha squad and achieved a best result of fourth place.
Among Yamaha's current WorldSBK riders, Aegerter is the most likely choice to replace Razgatlioglu and partner with Andrea Locatelli in the factory Pata Yamaha team next season. However, Aegerter's confirmation comes amid reports of Jonathan Rea attempting to leave Kawasaki and join Yamaha for 2024.
Rea, with his impressive track record, surpasses Aegerter in terms of WorldSBK wins and titles. If Yamaha were to secure Rea for 2024, it would position them as a strong contender for the championship. With Aegerter, expectations may be slightly lower.
The open-endedness of Aegerter's 2024 contract and the lack of commitment to a specific team may be due to Yamaha's wait-and-see approach regarding Rea's potential move. The team is likely assessing their options before finalizing Aegerter's placement.
Andrea Dosoli, Road Racing Manager at Yamaha Motor Europe, expressed his pleasure with Aegerter's extension, highlighting his impressive adaptation to WorldSBK and continuous improvement throughout the season. Dosoli wished Aegerter and his team the best for their future endeavors.
Aegerter, on his contract extension, expressed his happiness and pride in staying with Yamaha for another season. He aims to elevate his performance in the WorldSBK class and achieve better results. Despite not reaching the podium yet, Aegerter remains focused and determined to be a consistent front-runner.
The 2023 WorldSBK championship will continue with the French round in Magny-Cours from September 8-10.
Reference:https://www.visordown.com/news/racing/worldsbk/aegerter-remains-yamaha-worldsbk-2024