Jason O’Halloran and Tarran Mackenzie will remain with the McAMS Yamaha team for the 2021 Bennetts British Superbike Championship after agreeing one-year extensions to their current deals.

Following the announcement that McAMS will remain on board as title sponsor for a fifth year, team-mates O’Halloran and Mackenzie will sit tight in the team for a third consecutive season following the team’s best ever year in BSB.

With a new Yamaha YZF-R1 at their disposal for the delayed 2020 season, O’Halloran and Mackenzie shared five victories between them and made seventeen visits to the podium across the shortened season. O’Halloran eventually finished runner-up after taking the title fight to the wire at Brands Hatch.

After narrowly missing out on the title, the 32-year-old Aussie is hungry for more in 2021 and keen to build on the steps the team took with the all-new YZF-R1 over a full British Superbike campaign.

Mackenzie also displayed his title-fighting credentials in 2020 with dominant victories at Silverstone and Donington GP with a further four podium finishes taking him to fifth in the standings at the end of the season. A strong end to the year saw the 25-year-old take four podiums from the final six races, signalling his intent ahead of 2021.

The Fleetwood-based team will not rest on their laurels for the season ahead with work already underway to make further progress with the YZF-R1 as they seek to go one better and clinch the 2021 Bennetts British Superbike crown.

The 2021 season is scheduled to get underway at Oulton Park on the first weekend in May after a series of tests on British circuits throughout April. The championship will be contested over 11 rounds, concluding once again at Brands Hatch next October.

Yamaha Racing will host a LIVE Q&A with both McAMS Yamaha riders and Steve Rodgers on their Facebook Page at 18:30 this evening.

Jason O'Halloran

“2020 was my best year in the Bennetts British Superbike championship, fighting for the title until the end and finishing runner-up in our first year with the new YZF-R1, so for me it was a no brainer to continue this project for 2021 as I feel there’s a lot more to come. We were quite conservative with what we tried with the bike this year, with the season so short and sessions reduced we found something that worked and stuck with it, but there’s a lot we want to try so I am really excited to have a full testing programme and then a full season. This year I was on the podium at every track we went to except one, and with the full calendar back next year I feel this will really suit us, so I can’t wait to get going!”

Tarran Mackenzie

“I’m really happy to be staying with the McAMS Yamaha team in 2021 off the back of a great year; it was my strongest in BSB yet and the team had two bikes fighting for the title at the final round. We made some really big steps with the R1 for this year and closed the gap to Josh to fight at the front until the end and I am confident there’s more to come. All the guys and girls here are great and the last three years in the Superbike class have been amazing with a better result each year, so I want to continue that success.”

Steve Rodgers - Team Principal

“We’ve just had our best ever season in BSB in just our fourth year in the series, so keeping things the same for 2021 was the priority. Jason valiantly fought for the title this year, taking it down to the final race at the final round with some astonishing performances, including taking the win in what the best race of the year at Brands Hatch. Taz also showed his potential with some brilliant rides, most notably winning from 12th on the grid at Silverstone and then that great ride at Donington Park.

“After 2020, there is no doubt we have a package capable of fighting for the championship, so for everyone concerned, keeping everything the same for 2021 made perfect sense as we look to build on such a successful season.”

Valentina Slater - Sales Director - McAMS

“We are really happy that Jason and Tarran will continue to be the team’s riders as we head in to our fifth year as McAMS Yamaha. 2020 was a great season for the team with both riders winning races and finishing on the podium regularly and it was brilliant for us to see Jason fighting for the title until the very end. In Jason and Tarran, we have two riders more than capable of fighting for the title and that is the ultimate goal – becoming British Superbike Champions!”

Lee Neesham - Country Manager - Yamaha Motor UK

“Jason and Tarran went from strength to strength during 2020 with some outstanding rides with both riders delivering pole positions, podiums and wins on the new R1. It was such a shame that fans did not get to watch from trackside as the racing was more competitive and closer than ever. So we are delighted that they will both continue with the McAMS team for next season and we wish them every success with their challenge for the 2021 British Superbike crown.”