One of the riders whose contract expires at the end of this season is Andrea Locatelli. In recent weeks, the rider from Bergamo has been at the center of negotiations, so much so that even BMW has set its sights on him and ended up speaking to Juri Danesi, the guy who looks after Andrea's interests.
At the same time, Yamaha has been working hard to convince its rider to continue his adventure in blue, so that their roads wouldn't part. Now, according to the latest news, it seems like all the efforts they've made have gotten resutls, because Locatelli seems intent on wanting to continue with Yamaha.
There's nothing official at the moment, but the direction taken by both is to continue the adventure together even in 2026 and beyond. The Locatelli will receive an adjustment in economic terms, and there might even be an extra opportunity on the plate for him that goes beyond the Superbike.
And what could that be? We wouldn't be surprised if Yamaha were to include Andrea in the list of riders who'll participate in the upcoming Suzuka 8 Hours. As we know, the Japanese manufacturer is returning to the event this year in a factory guise, and the rider from Bergamo could be among the ones chosen for this challenge against Honda, the dominator of the past editions.
So we'll just have to see in the next few weeks whether or not there's going to be this possibility, as Locatelli waits to renew his contract with Yamaha. A story that started in the SSP and continues in the World SBK, with the rider who's demonstrated that he continues to believe in their project.