Harris Group’s commercial vehicle division, Harris Maxus, continues to step into the global motorsport spotlight with a major partnership in the FIM Superbike World Championship. The Irish brand has joined forces with the Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team, the factory-supported effort campaigning Yamaha YZF-R1 machines in the premier production-based racing series. This sponsorship covers started last year and continues through the 2026 season and sees the Maxus name featured prominently on team race bikes, rider apparel and official promotional materials, raising the profile of the brand on a global stage.
The alliance brings together two very different but complementary worlds: Harris Maxus, known in Ireland and the UK as a leading distributor of commercial vehicles, and one of WorldSBK’s most historic and competitive teams. By aligning with a high-performance sport such as Superbike racing, Harris Maxus gains visibility among international audiences and underscores its commitment to performance, innovation and excellence, traits that also resonate with the engineering excellence behind Yamaha’s race machines. The Pata Yamaha WorldSBK team is operated in partnership between Yamaha Motor Europe and Crescent Racing and competes across 12 rounds at global venues, making it one of the most visible championships in motorcycle racing. The team includes established riders battling for top positions and has a rich history of success, including multiple championship honours.
For Harris Maxus, this is more than a logo placement. The partnership is intended to create engagement opportunities for fans, dealers and customers, both at racing events and through digital communication channels. When the Maxus branding appears on the WorldSBK grid, it connects the Irish company with high-speed competition at the highest level of production-based motorcycle racing. The sponsorship also signals Harris Group’s broader ambition to be associated with cutting-edge technology and performance, reflecting the shared values of the racing team and the commercial vehicle brands it represents in Ireland and the UK.
The team will contest the full 2026 season with two riders: Andrea Locatelli continues with the Pata Maxus Yamaha squad, building on his strong performances in previous seasons with the team. Locatelli has been a consistent front-running rider and remains a key part of Yamaha’s WorldSBK challenge in 2026. Joining him is Xavi Vierge, who makes the move to Pata Maxus Yamaha for the 2026 season. Vierge arrives at the factory Yamaha team after several years with another manufacturer and brings valuable experience to the line-up. His signing was confirmed as part of Yamaha’s updated team structure for the forthcoming WorldSBK campaign. Together, Locatelli and Vierge will race the Yamaha R1 WorldSBK machine under the Harris Maxus sponsorship banner as part of the factory-supported effort from Yamaha Motor Europe and Crescent Racing.
