McAMS Yamaha has announced Moto2 World Champion and former MotoGP rider Tito Rabat will join the team for the upcoming fifth round of the 2023 British Superbike Championship [BSB] at Snetterton.

The Spanish veteran will throw his leg over the factory-backed Yamaha R1 alongside Jason O'Halloran for the next two rounds, the first to be held at the Norfolk venue before heading to Brands Hatch for Round 6.

Beating 2019 BSB Champion Scott Redding to the 2014 Moto2 title, Rabat went on to spend five seasons competing in MotoGP. He has since reverted to Superbike competition with stints in WorldSBK with Barni Ducati and - this season - Puccetti Kawasaki and the Spanish domestic series, while he made a brief appearance in BSB last year with the TAG Honda squad.

Rabat - who is also competing in the MotoE World Championship - arrives at McAMS Yamaha to replace Tim Neave, who has opted to step back from competing for personal reasons.

“I am very happy to get the chance to race in Bennetts BSB again. It’s always a pleasure to race in front of such a passionate crowd like in the UK.

"I want to thank McAMS Yamaha for this great opportunity to race with one of the most competitive and successful teams in the championship. Although I am not familiar with Snetterton or Brands Hatch, I hope to rise to the challenge and show that I can be competitive during those races. See you at Snetterton!”  

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“From our initial conversations, Tito was hugely enthusiastic about getting the chance to come and ride in BSB again as he feels he didn’t show his true potential before for various reasons," Team Principal Steve Rodgers commented.

“As a Grand Prix World Champion, he clearly knows how to ride a motorcycle and his success in the Spanish Championship shows he can ride a 1000cc Superbike. While BSB poses its own unique challenges, we are excited to be able to offer Tito the chance to show what he can do on a bike which has won a lot over the last few years.”

Prior to the announcement, ROKiT BMW's Leon Haslam confirmed to BSN that he had been approached over the possibility of defecting to McAMS for the remainder of the season, but chose to turn the offer down.