Dominique Aegerter to defend WorldSSP title with Ten Kate Yamaha in 2022

Dominique Aegerter will defend his WorldSSP Championship crown in 2022 after agreeing to extend his stay with the Ten Kate Racing team.

The Swiss rider - a Moto2 race winner - committed to competing in the WorldSSP Championship this season after spending 16 years in the GP paddock, ten of which were spent competing in the intermediate class.

Paired with Ten Kate Racing and riding a Yamaha R6, Aegerter proved a revelation to score ten victories en route to wrapping up the title with the final round in Indonesia to spare.

Though he made no secret of his desire to progress to the WorldSBK Championship next season, Aegerter’s desire to stay with the Dutch Ten Kate Racing team will instead see him look to become the first rider since Kenan Sofuoglu to successfully defend his crown.

“I am very happy to continue with Ten Kate Racing Yamaha in 2022. We had a great first season with many successes and the World Championship. I am looking forward to working with the same group of people next season. 

“I feel very much at home at Ten Kate Racing, and we are a strong team. Next year, we will have more experience and more data, so the goal will be to defend the world title with the Yamaha R6. Our common goal is to continue and grow together in 2023. 

“I want to thank the team and all partners and sponsors who make our dream possible. But first we go to Indonesia, an important race in which we will try to score as many points as possible for the Teams’ Championship!"

Despite his relative age versus his competitors, Aegerter enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in 2021 after very nearly doubling up with title glory in the MotoE World Cup.

Initially declared the winner of that series too, a penalty for colliding with title rival Jordi Torres would drop him down and hand the championship to the Spaniard.

The title also marked a return to supremacy for Ten Kate Racing, once the dominant force of WorldSSP with Honda with nine titles between 2002 and 2014. This was the Dutch team’s first title since a return to the series in 2020 with Yamaha.