Yamaha set for Strong Return in Pirelli National Sportbike Championship
With the 2025 Pirelli National Sportbike Championship only days away, Yamaha Motor UK are set for a competitive campaign. They have eight strong riders now aboard the 2025 R7 BLU CRU.
Yamaha’s amplified presence will again be fronted by an officially supported team and MSV-approved supplier, Rev2Race Yamaha. This team includes returning riders, Jacob Stephenson and Joshua Proudfoot. It also welcomes the latest recruits of Brian O’Malley and Bobby Varey.
Championship hopeful and race-winner Ash Barnes is also set for a return. He led the R7 charge last season. Additionally, Rev2Race satellite rider Rossi Banham, and newbies Brandon Keen and Jorge Halliday form the remaining R7 presence in the series.
The Riders:
Raceways-backed rider Ash Barnes is returning for a fierce title attack in 2025. After finishing as the top R7 rider in the series last year, the 2021 British Junior Supersport runner-up picked up multiple podiums and a race win. A strong period of pre-season testing saw him finish at the top of the timesheets at the first test of the year at Donington Park. Therefore, it puts him in good stead ahead of the 2025 opener.
Rev2Race Yamaha’s latest addition, Bobby Varey, successfully contested the F900 Cup in 2024. He is new to the R7 in 2025. However, the 28-year-old is no stranger to the epic machinery. He attained the title of 250 German Champion in 2023 aboard a TZ250.
17-year-old Jacob Stephenson’s 2024 efforts were affected by injury, causing him to miss out on the first two rounds of the season. Upon his return, he secured a best result of eighth. He is back in full form for 2025 and is hopeful for a strong campaign in the R7 saddle.
Returning Yamaha R7 rider Joshua Proudfoot was new to the paddock last year. He rode to a best finish of 12th at Knockhill and demonstrated proficiency in wet conditions.
At 16 years old, Brian O’Malley is the youngest rider under the Rev2Race stable.
This year will be his second in the British paddock. In 2024, the racing hopeful earned the title of Moto 400 Irish Champion. He also competed in the British Superteen series.
Rossi Banham’s amplified level of involvement with Rev2Race Yamaha for 2025 comes off the back of a productive season. Last year, he made strides of improvement as the season progressed, earning a best result of eighth.
Brandon Keen spent 2024 in the No Limits paddock, winning the Newcomers championship with multiple victories. He joins the Pirelli National Sportbike Championship with support from Bedfordshire-based Yamaha Dealership, Flitwick Motorcycles.
Jorge Halliday is from a road-racing background. He made his Isle of Man TT debut in 2023 aboard a Yamaha R6. In 2024, he rode the R6 and R1 models and plans to continue road racing this year alongside the Pirelli National Sportbike Championship.
Rev2Race Yamaha: MSV-Approved Supplier
Similarly to 2024, this season will also see the official Yamaha Motor UK-supported team, Rev2Race Yamaha, retain their position as the MSVR-approved supplier of homologated R7 components within the Sportbike Championship.
Support to all R7 Riders in the Championship
Rev2Race Yamaha will continue to provide unparalleled support to Yamaha R7 riders in the Pirelli National Sportbike Championship. They offer everything from technical support to set-up guidance. The team will also stock a full collection of R7 race-ready parts. These parts are available to purchase trackside at a discounted price.
The R7 BLU CRU care package features a selection of Paddock Blue clothing. It includes exclusive access to track walks and track guides from Yamaha R1 Bennetts BSB riders. This package will again form part of the support for 2025, as well as media coverage via Yamaha’s UK Racing channels.
After two official R&G tests at Donington Park and Oulton Park, the R7 effort in the Pirelli National Sportbike Championship is ready for another year on track. The challenge begins with Free Practice 1 at Oulton Park this coming Saturday.
Kev Stephenson
Rev2Race Yamaha, Team Principal
“As a team we are excited to get stuck into another year of racing. We showed the potential of the Yamaha R7 throughout the 2024 season. Therefore, we feel excited to pick things up where we left off last year. Jacob and Josh showed steady improvement as the 2024 season unfolded, paving the way for more improvement in the upcoming season. We have two new faces in the team this year in the form of Bobby and Brian. Both will be great assets to the team.”
Ash Barnes
Raceways Yamaha
“2025 should be a strong year for us. I’m happy with what we achieved last year and feel confident that we’ll be able to build on the progress we made. It’s been a long Winter break, and I’m itching to get back on track and feel at one with the R7. Our aim for the season is to put up a fight for the championship title.”
Bobby Varey
Rev2Race Yamaha
“I’m extremely excited to be joining Rev2Race Yamaha for 2025 and feel keen to get stuck into another positive season on track. I feel very grateful to Stanford Flooring for making the opportunity possible. I’m 100% committed to delivering a strong season and showcasing the full extent of my potential.”
Jacob Stephenson
Rev2Race Yamaha
“I can’t wait for the 2025 Pirelli National Sportbike Championship to get underway. I’m ready to put my demons of 2024 behind me. I’m confident that after a positive period of testing, we’ll start the year strong. I want to make the team proud. I’m excited to show my true potential aboard the Yamaha R7 this season.”
Joshua Proudfoot
Rev2Race Yamaha
“I’m really looking forward to the 2025 Pirelli National Sportbike Championship. As I move into my second year in BSB, I will aim to continue the upward trajectory of development I made last year. Therefore, I aim to move myself further up the order for 2025. More specifically, I’d like to achieve a top 10 finish throughout the coming season. I came close to achieving this a couple of times in 2024, so if we continue to progress in the same way, it should be an achievable target.”
Brian O’Malley
Rev2Race Yamaha
“I’m really looking forward to getting aboard the R7 this year with Rev2Race Yamaha. It’s a very different bike compared to what I’m used to. However, I think that after getting up to speed and completing a productive period of testing, we should be capable of being right up there as the race season begins. I’m excited to be a part of the Rev2Race team for 2025. They seem like a great bunch of people. I believe we’ll work well together as we get further into the year.”
Rossi Banham
RB-Racing Yamaha | Rev2Race Yamaha
“I’m excited to get stuck into the 2025 Pirelli National Sportbike Championship. My goal for the year is to secure as many podiums as I can because I believe that the potential to achieve that is there. 2024 was a productive year; we experienced ups and downs, but overall, we learnt a lot. The additional support from Kev and Rev2Race Yamaha will push us in the right direction throughout the upcoming season.”
Brandon Keen
Team Flitwick Motorcycles
“I am super excited to get this year started, aboard the Yamaha R7 in the Pirelli National Sportbike Championship. It’ll be a big learning year for me. However, I’m excited to see how it goes and how we manage to progress as the season goes on. I’m grateful for the support that I’ll be getting from Flitwick Motorcycles. I feel eager to repay them with some strong results.”
Jorge Halliday
Stanford Racing
“I’m excited for this season and looking forward to seeing what we can achieve aboard the Yamaha R7. I really enjoy riding aboard the twin-cylinder. The team and I have had a positive couple of tests at Donington Park and Oulton Park, so we’re ready for the weekend. We’re keen to get some races under our belt and strong results on the board.”