There is no shortage of high-profile support in the International German Motorcycle Championship (IDM). Sandro Cortese and GMT94 riders Philipp Öttl and Lucas Mahias will be on track as riding coaches for Yamaha during several test sessions and at select IDM race weekends.
The roles are clearly defined. Alessandro “Sandro” Cortese will focus on the riders’ mental strength. The 34-year-old from Berkheim’s own track record speaks volumes. In 2012, Cortese became the first world champion in the then-new Moto3 class. In the 2018 season, he entered the Supersport World Championship and won the title right away. Cortese thus became the first rider to win titles in both a class of the Motorcycle World Championship and the Supersport World Championship. A year earlier, Lucas Mahias had been the Supersport World Champion. The fact that Cortese and the 35-year-old Frenchman are now meeting in the IDM is a happy coincidence. That said, the Yamaha rider—who is also known as the 2016 Endurance World Champion—will be focusing more on the technical skills needed to unlock the full potential of the motorcycles, alongside World Superbike champion Philipp Öttl. The 27-year-old Öttl has already gained experience in several World Championship series.
Wim Vermeulen can tell from the data in front of him that the coaches and their riders are in for a tough challenge. “Just like in the lower classes, the 2024 IDM Superbikes season is going to be very exciting,” says the Yamaha Motor Germany Marketing Manager. “During the tests at Misano and Assen, we saw that other manufacturers have also made huge strides in development. With the 2024 IDM specification, lap times similar to those in the 2023 WSBK can be achieved.” However, Vermeulen also says: “We’ve also made some positive strides with the R1, so I expect that we’ll improve compared to 2023 as well. But we have to respect the fact that this is the first year on a 1,000cc big bike for the bLU cRU talents. So our focus is on fighting for a podium in the second half of the season and likely not competing for the championship until 2025.”