The 2021 season is not over yet, but the teams are already sharpening their blades for next year and the 2022 World Superbike will see the presence of one more rider on the grid: the MIE Racing Honda team has in fact made its line-up official for next season and there will be two bikes that he will bring to the track. Leandro Mercado has been confirmed and will share the garage with Hafizh Syahrin, who will make his debut in the world championship of production derivatives.
Mercado will thus continue his journey with the team he is racing with already this year, in which he has obtained an eighth place as the best result so far. The MIE Racing team will thus be able to count on the Argentine, a highly experienced rider in Superbike, with 153 races under his belt and a sixth place as best overall result, as well as boasting the European Superstock 1000 title, won in 2014. The goal of Mercado is to continue with the project and aims to consistently be in the top 10 in 2022.
“I am very happy to continue with the MIE Racing Honda Team and with this project in the Superbike World Championship – says Mercado – I think this year we have done a good job and made consistent progress, but we still have a lot to do and a lot to give! We can and must achieve better results and for this reason it is important to be able to continue working on this project, which gives me a lot of motivation. I want to thank Midori Moriwaki for believing in me, the whole team for the great work she does and the sponsors for their support. For my part, I will give 100% to continue our growth ”.
Mercado will be joined by Hafizh Syahrin, a debutant in Superbike but an old acquaintance of the world championship. The 27-year-old Malaysian is currently involved in Moto2, where in Valencia he will play his last race after nine seasons in the intermediate class. He made his debut in 2013, then moved on to MotoGP in 2018. In the premier class he raced for two seasons, first on the Yamaha and then with KTM. In 2020, however, he returned to Moto2, where he is still today, at least until this last weekend in Valencia.
“I would like to thank the team, especially Midori Moriwaki, and Honda for the trust they have placed in me – declares Hafizh Syahrin – I am sure we will be able to work well together and we hope to produce good results. I will do my best as always. This will be a new challenge for me, and I’m excited to get started! I would like to thank all the sponsors, my family, friends and even the fans for their continued support – I know everyone is as excited as I am! Thank you all”.
Midori Moriwaki, MIE Racing Honda team principal, says: “We are extremely happy to confirm two strong riders like Leandro Mercado and Hafizh Syahrin, thus doubling our line-up for the 2022 World Superbike season. “Tati” has been great this season, always maintaining a positive and determined attitude, despite some difficult moments for the team, and making an important contribution to the solid progress we have made over the course of the year. He is fast, determined and experienced and by extending our partnership we will bring continuity to our project. We have followed Hafizh’s career over the years, ever since he raced his first wildcard race in the Moto2 World Championship on a Moriwaki (Malaysia 2011) motorcycle at just 16 years old. He is one of many strong riders who have emerged from the vibrant and competitive racing scene on the Asian continent, where motorcycling is a much loved and hugely popular sport. Hafizh is very talented and competitive and will be a very valuable addition to our team and to the Superbike World Championship ”.
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