Ryota Haga, the second son of World Superbike legend Noriyuki Haga, had died in an accident during a race on Sunday.
He was killed during the start of the ST600 race in the MFJ All-Japan Road Racing Championship held at the Autopolis International Racing Course, located in Ōita Prefecture.
Haga had trouble launching his Yamaha YZF-R6 off the line at the start, and the bike appeared to lose power, ending being struck by two other motorcycles from behind. The race was immediately stopped and emergency vehicles were despatched to assist, but was transported to the hospital in a helicopter. However, the medical personal could not save the 21-year-old rider from his injuries.
Ryota Haga raced for the WORK NAVI Nitro Racing team. He had been racing in the series since 2020, and finished 10th in the ST600 Championship in 2023. He had hoped to follow in his father’s footsteps in motorcycle racing.
His father Noriyuki won 43 WSBK races to become the fifth most winning rider in the series. He had ridden Yamahas, Aprilias, Ducatis, and a Kawasaki in both WSBK and the 500cc World Championships.
Rest in peace, Ryota and our deepest condolences to the Haga family.
