"It's great to be able to continue working with Rob Hartog in 2023." The 30-year-old Yamaha rider "has done a fantastic job in the IDM Superbike," says team manager Frank Brouwer about the fastest Dutch rider in the premier class. Brouwer confirms Hartog’s continued involvement with Team SWPN: “Building on our established foundation, together with the support of Yamaha Motor Europe, European Division, I am confident that we can continue to deliver positive surprises in the IDM next season.”
In 2022, Hartog finished third overall and was the top non-BMW driver. He also finished every race and scored points in each one. The only others to achieve this were champion Markus Reiterberger and his compatriot Pepijn Bijsterbosch. This is a solid foundation to build on, as there is still room for improvement.
Hartog’s debut year in the IDM Superbike series was already promising. The rookie with the number “47” was able to hold his own on the SWPN Yamaha R1M in the prestigious class right from the start. His consistency ultimately earned him third place in the standings. “It was a fantastic year, but also a learning year. I’m very excited to see what else is possible in 2023. I’m still missing a podium finish, and the goal is to finish as high up in the championship as possible.” Although Hartog was officially classified third on race Sunday last year at his home track in Assen, he hadn’t actually stood on the podium. World Superbike rider Loris Baz had finished ahead of Hartog but, as a guest rider, wasn’t included in the official standings.