Yamaha Motor Europe’s bLU cRU program was recognised with the FIM Award for the Future last weekend.

The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) Awards Ceremony was held in Rimini, Italy, on Saturday night. The FIM Award for the Future is aimed at rewarding those who have contributed to improving and developing the presence of youngsters in all motorcycling related activities through opportunities at national or international level, promoting role models and developing mentoring programmes, creating new competitions and classes or innovations dedicated specifically to youngsters.

The FIM recognised Yamaha Motor Europe for their contribution in 2022, a year in which more than 400 young riders were part of the bLU cRU program across both road and off-road disciplines, all benefiting from coaching, technical support, and an opportunity to further their racing careers.

Set-up in 2016, the bLU cRU program was created to provide young riders an opportunity to take the next step in their racing careers with support from Yamaha. In 2019, Yamaha expanded into road racing, supporting riders within the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship class. Those that impressed would earn promotion to the FIM Supersport World Championship with support from Yamaha. In 2021, Yamaha Motor Europe then introduced the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup, which supports rounds of the FIM Superbike World Championship. The overall winner then receives full support for their WorldSSP300 campaign the following season, kickstarting their journey to the pinnacle of motorcycle road racing.

“Firstly, I would like to thank Mr. Jorge Viegas and the FIM for recognising our bLU cRU program with the prestigious Award for the Future,” Eric de Seynes, President and CEO, Yamaha Motor Europe said. “To accept the trophy on behalf of Yamaha Motor Europe at the FIM Awards, an event that honours the elite of motorcycle sport, was a proud moment.

“Yamaha races across many disciplines and many classes, and we obviously race to win, but that isn’t our only goal. As a manufacturer we also have a responsibility to safeguard the future of our sport by making it accessible to the next generation of racers and to ensure, by supporting the riders and their families, that real talent can be identified and nurtured. This is the philosophy of the bLU cRU, and it is this approach that has allowed World Champions like Maxime Renaux and Alvaro Diaz to realise their full potential within the Yamaha Racing family.

“However, the bLU cRU isn’t limited to youngsters with World Championship aspirations, it’s also aimed at those that race purely for fun. Events like the YZ bLU cRU SuperFinale see our youngsters racing alongside their heroes, making memories that will last them a lifetime. I am immensely proud of our bLU cRU program, and I would encourage other manufacturers to consider something similar in the future. We can compete on track, but when it comes to securing the future of the sport, we need to work together.”