The job with the “Pocket Rocket” is done. Max Stauffer is bidding farewell to the EURO MOTO Sportbike class and will compete in the “ Supersport ” category starting with the race weekend in Assen. There, the Australian will ride the Yamaha R9 for Team Apreco-Yamaha.
For the 22-year-old, this is the next step in a year full of changes. Stauffer’s move from Australia to Europe marked the beginning of a new chapter for him anyway. Since then, the son of former Australian Superbike champion Jamie Stauffer has not only gotten used to life far from home, but also to riding smaller motorcycles.
After years riding the high-performance Yamaha R1 Superbike in Australia, Stauffer had to adjust to the significantly smaller Yamaha YZF-R7 in Europe. High cornering speeds, less engine power, and a completely different riding style posed quite a challenge for the Australian. Although his adjustment period was brief, he still scored points in five of the seven races so far and fulfilled his role in the development program.
That’s now complete. Stauffer is switching to the R9. Looking back on the past few months, he says: “The switch from the R1 in Australia to the R7 in Europe was definitely not an easy transition, but I enjoyed every lap on this little ‘Pocket Rocket,’ as I like to call the R7. Now I’m really looking forward to moving up to the R9. Dirk and Lennox have already shown just how competitive this bike is.”
Apreco team boss Corine Brandhorst also gave a positive assessment of the joint testing phase: “We were able to provide Yamaha with valuable feedback on the new model year of the R7 (2026), which will be incorporated into the final development phase leading up to the official market launch in 2027. Now I’m looking forward to giving Max the opportunity to finish the season on the R9. At the same time, I’d like to thank the EURO MOTO organization for their support during the testing phase and for making the transition to the “ Supersport ” category so smooth.”
