Xavi Vierge

Born in Barcelona, Spain, Xavi Vierge began his professional racing career in the 2012 FIM CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship. Vierge failed to finish anywhere close to the top ten during his two seasons, however, a step-up to the FIM CEV Moto2 European Championship in 2014 saw his results significantly improve. 

Vierge, who rode for the Tech 3 team, took just three races to claim a first podium after clinching P3 in Aragon. Familiar with a lot of the Spanish venues, Vierge then put his track knowledge to good use by taking first professional win during round six at the Navarra Circuit. 

Vierge would eventually finish his first season on Moto2 machinery in 4th. The now 24 year-old remained in the Moto2 European Championship for 2015 and went on to finish second in the championship. Vierge displayed an impressive run of consistency as he finished ten of the 11 races third or higher including six wins. 

During that same 2015 season came his Moto2 debut in the world championship as he took part in all nine of the final races. Still with Tech 3 at this stage, Vierge made his full-season Moto2 World Championship debut in 2016 which saw him take his first top ten results during two of the last three races (Phillip Island and Sepang). 

The Spaniard’s breakthrough season came in 2017 as he clinched a maiden podium courtesy of a P2 finish at Motegi, Japan. Vierge also regained the type of consistency he was known for from the 2015 European Moto2 series as he clinched a total of nine top tens in 15 races. 

Vierge’s most prolific season in terms of podiums followed in 2018 although he was unable to better the 11th place champinship finish that he managed one season prior. Vierge's best championship result was tenth in 2020 which was also his first season with the Sepang Racing Team. After being retained by the team in 2021, Vierge was rumoured to be lined-up for a 2022 Petronas Yamaha ride in MotoGP, however, the team suffered sponsorship problems around mid-season which was enough to halt any plans Vierge had of moving up to the premier class. 

The Petronas Yamaha team, now known as WithU Yamaha RNF elected to go with South Africa’s Darryn Binder after missing out on their first two choices of Raul Fernandez and WorldSBK champion Toprak Razgatlioglu. That left Vierge with nowhere to go in MotoGP, while a stay in Moto2 was also out of the question, thus leading to Team HRC signing the Spaniard alongsige former MotoGP rider Iker Lecuona. 

The 2022 season will be Vierge’s first in WorldSBK and first outside the grand prix paddock altogether since 2015.

Vierge finished 25 points behind team-mate Lecuona in the race to be crowned 2022 WorldSBK rookie of the year, however, a good run of consistency saw him claim 13 top ten results from the final 15 races.