YART confirm 2025 line-up
Jason O’Halloran has joined Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team as Niccolò Canepa’s replacement for the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship. The Australian will also take up an official testing role with Yamaha.
The 36-year-old will partner long-term YART stars Marvin Fritz and Karel Hanika, plus reserve rider Robin Mulhauser, on the #7 Yamaha YZF-R1 following Canepa’s decision to call time on his riding career to become the new Yamaha Motor Europe – Road Racing Sporting Manager.
The most successful Yamaha rider in terms of British Superbike Championship victories, O’Halloran moved to the United Kingdom after winning the 2007 Australian Supersport Championship. As well as his 26 BSB race wins, O’Halloran was BSB runner-up in 2020 and has competed in Moto2, World Superbike and World Supersport as a wildcard entrant.
Jason O’Halloran
“I am extremely excited to join the YART team and become a full-time EWC rider. I have spent many years in British Superbikes, but when I started speaking to the team, it just seemed like the perfect move. I want to thank everybody who made this happen. I cannot wait to join up with the team, and what a team. Endurance world champions in 2009 and 2023, plus Marvin and Karel, are amazing riders, and the team’s achievements speak for themselves. I had a lot of success in BSB with Yamaha, so I am excited to get back onto the R1. It has always been the bike I gelled with the best; it suits my riding style, and I love riding it. I had a taste of riding in the EWC in the past, and it has always been a championship I wanted to race in. With Niccolò retiring, the timing was perfect, and I cannot wait for the challenge ahead.”
Nicknamed the ‘O Show’, O’Halloran also has endurance racing experience. He was a podium finisher in the Doha 8 Hours in 2012, finished in the top 10 in the Suzuka 8 Hours, and was fourth in the 8 Hours of Oschersleben during the same year.
The double Endurance World Champions (2009 and 2023), YART came so close to defending their EWC crown after finishing on the podium at every race in 2024, including winning the 8 Hours of Spa Motos and securing a dream second at the legendary Suzuka 8 Hours in Japan to end the season in second overall after an epic title battle.
Niccolò Canepa – Yamaha Europe Road Racing Sporting Manager
“We are really happy to have Jason joining the YART team, and we are excited to see what he can do on the bike. He has a lot of experience with the R1 and has shown his talent and ability in the British Superbike Championship with 26 wins, so I think he will bring a lot to the team. I also think he has the perfect character to succeed in EWC, as you need not only to be fast but also to be a team player and be able to work with your team-mates. I got to know Jason in BSB last year. I was his team-mate for a couple of race weekends, and he helped me a lot during this time, which made me realise that he had the right attitude for EWC. He already has some endurance experience, but he will have to adapt quite quickly, and we feel that with his addition to the team, we will have the perfect package to fight for the title next season.”
O’Halloran’s signing continues YART team’s long association with Australian riders, which has seen Damian Cudlin, Steve Martin, Josh Brookes, Broc Parkes, Wayne Maxwell, and Ricky Olson all race for them in the past.
Mandy Kainz – YART Team Manager
“I am delighted to welcome Jason to YART. Once Niccolò announced his retirement, my phone was ringing off the hook with riders wanting to join the team, but for me the person I always wanted to sign was Jason. Not only has he shown how good he is on the R1 as the most successful Yamaha rider in BSB in terms of victories, but he also has a lot of experience from other classes and is a real team player. It helps that he has also ridden in the EWC before, and we feel he is the perfect addition to the team. He will bring something different but will also slot right into the YART family, and we can’t wait to kick off the new season.”
O’Halloran will make his EWC debut as a YART rider when the 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans in France opens the 2025 season from 17-20 April.
