Veteran racer Hector Barbera, age 32, will race full-time in the 2019 FIM Supersport World Championship on a Team Toth Yamaha YZF-R6.
After starting more than 130 races in the MotoGP World Championship between 2010 and 2017, Barbera stepped down to the Moto2 World Championship to race with Pons HP 40 in 2018. Then after doing the first six Moto2 races of 2018 with a best race finish of 11th at Le Mans, Barbera transferred to the FIM Supersport World Championship to take over the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing ZX-6R left vacant when Kenan Sofuoglu retired mid-season.
Barbera, a former CEV 125cc Champion and a two-time World Championship runner-up, finished in the points in all four races he ran and earned a best finish of ninth in the season finale at Losail International Circuit.
“I moved to WorldSSP for the final fourth of last year and really enjoyed riding in the category,” Barbera was quoted as saying on www.worldsbk.com. “I received different offers for 2019, but in the end, I decided to stay in Supersport because I believe I have room to improve here and be able to fight for the victory soon. At this point of my career, all what I want is to be back fighting at the front and with this choice I think I will be able to do so!”
Barbera said he will begin testing with his new team in January of 2019.