26 July 2026 – Never Be Clever Racing enjoyed a highly successful weekend at Chimay, where Kevin de Haan secured the team’s first victory following a strong performance in both the Superbike and Supersport classes. Despite changing weather conditions and limited experience on the Yamaha R1, Kevin showed impressive pace, consistency and adaptability throughout the weekend.
The Superbike qualifying sessions marked Kevin’s first time riding the Never Be Clever Racing Yamaha R1. Although he needed time to become familiar with the bike, he immediately demonstrated his potential by setting a competitive lap time and finishing the opening qualifying session in fifth position.
“It was my first time riding the Yamaha R1, so there was still a lot for me to learn,” Kevin explained. “Despite that, I managed to set a reasonable lap time straight away and finish Q1 in fifth place, which was a positive start.”
After making several small adjustments to the motorcycle, the team hoped to improve further in the second qualifying session. However, traffic prevented Kevin from completing a clear lap, leaving him tenth on the starting grid.
“We made some small changes to the bike for the second session, and I felt that an improvement was possible,” he said. “Unfortunately, I encountered several slower riders during my fast laps, so I was unable to improve my time.”
In the Supersport class, Kevin continued to build on the progress made during his previous visit to Chimay. Riding the Yamaha R6, he significantly improved his lap time during the first qualifying session and secured second place. Although he was unable to improve during Q2, his earlier time was enough to maintain second position on the grid.
“The goal was to improve compared to our first weekend at Chimay, and we achieved that immediately in Q1. I was able to make a big step with my lap time and secure a strong second place on the grid.”
Valuable Experience on the Yamaha R1
Kevin started both Superbike races from tenth position. Race one began in slightly damp conditions, prompting the team to select a rain tyre at the front and an intermediate tyre at the rear.
“At the beginning of the race, I had to search for grip and understand how the bike behaved in those conditions,” Kevin explained. “As the circuit started to dry, I was able to close the gap slightly to the riders ahead of me.”
Kevin crossed the line in sixth position in the ESR Championship classification. The second Superbike race took place in fully dry conditions, allowing him to race on slick tyres. After another strong start and gaining several positions, Kevin focused on riding consistently and gaining valuable experience on the R1.
“I was not yet able to fully match the pace of the riders in front, so I concentrated on being consistent and learning as much as possible about the motorcycle. Finishing sixth again in the ESR Championship was a solid result, especially considering it was my first weekend on the R1.”
First Podium Followed by First Victory
Starting from second position in the first Supersport race, Kevin made a good launch but lost two positions before entering the opening corner. After one of the riders ahead made a mistake, Kevin quickly moved into third and launched an early attack for second place.
Despite a slight disadvantage in acceleration and top speed compared to his competitors, he managed to close the gap to the race leader and challenge for the victory.
“I was able to close the gap and make an attack for first place. Unfortunately, I selected the wrong gear when exiting the corner and immediately lost the position again. I tried to close the gap once more, but I could not make another attack.”
Kevin ultimately finished second, securing his first podium together with Never Be Clever Racing.
Shortly before the second Supersport race, rain began to fall, forcing the team to react quickly and change the tyres. Once again, the team selected a rain tyre at the front and an intermediate at the rear, as the circuit was not wet enough to justify a full wet setup.
Kevin made another excellent start and entered the first corner in second position. At the beginning of the second lap, he made his move for the lead and never looked back. Delivering a controlled and consistent performance on the drying circuit, he crossed the finish line with an advantage of 11 seconds.
“I was able to attack for the lead at the start of the second lap, and from that moment I managed to control the race. The conditions were constantly changing, but I maintained a good rhythm and was able to build a comfortable lead. Taking my first victory with Never Be Clever Racing is an incredible feeling.”
The result completed an outstanding weekend for both Kevin and the team, with a Supersport podium, a race victory and two strong Superbike finishes.
“It was a fantastic weekend with many different conditions,” Kevin concluded. “The team did an amazing job. They reacted quickly, made the right tyre choices and gave me a bike that allowed me to fight at the front. Our first victory together is now a reality, and I am extremely proud of everyone involved.”
