YART Yamaha Sign O’Halloran for 2025 EWC Season
Words and images courtesy Yamaha
Yamaha Motor Europe has announced that Jason O’Halloran will join the Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team lineup for the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship. He will join alongside Karel Hanika, Marvin Fritz, and reserve rider Robin Mulhauser.
O’Halloran, the most successful Yamaha rider in terms of victories in the British Superbike Championship, joins the YART team to replace Niccolò Canepa, who retired at the end of the 2024 season to become Yamaha Motor Europe’s Road Racing Sporting Manager.
The Australian joins a YART Yamaha team that enjoyed a superb 2024 FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC). The double Endurance World Champions (2009 and 2023) 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.
O’Halloran said: “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.”br/p>
Niccolò Canepa, Yamaha Motor Europe – Road Racing Sporting Manager, added: “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. You need not only to be fast but also to be a team player and be able to work with your teammates. I got to know Jason in BSB last year. I was his teammate for a couple of race weekends, and he helped me a lot during this time. This 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. We feel that with his addition to the team, we will have the perfect package to fight for the title next season.”
With the rider lineup secured, the team now turns its focus to the opening round of the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship. The 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans will take place from April 17th to 20th.