MIE Racing Honda returns to WorldSBK grid for Assen
MIE Racing confirms it will return to the 2021 WorldSBK Championship grid after taking three events out to focus on development of the Honda CBR1000RR-R
The Assen round of the 2021 WorldSBK Championship will return to a fuller complement of riders after MIE Racing confirmed it will be present for Round 5 of the season.
The Czech-based team, headed up by Midori Moriwaki, lined up for the opening round of the season at Motorland Aragon with new signing Leandro Mercado but was hamstrung by an uncompetitive showing that yielded a best finish of 18th.
As a result, the team - which turned heads with a livery that echoes the iconic days of the Castrol-backed Honda effort - retreated for the following three rounds in favour of a carrying out development work on the satellite Honda CBR1000RR-R.
It will beat a path back to WorldSBK grid this weekend in Assen with Mercado - winner of the FIM Superstock 1000 title in 2014 - bidding to fare better on this occasion.
"I am very happy to be back with my bike, my team and in the Superbike World Championship. During the last few weeks, the squad has completed some solid work on the bike and then I rode it again during the tests we have completed.
“I immediately noticed an improvement in terms of the overall package. There is still work to do of course, but we are all 100% focused on this project. I have also done a lot of physical training and am fit and ready to get back on the bike.
“I'm happy to do it at Assen too, a track I haven’t visited for two years, last year due to Covid-19 and in 2019 because I was injured. I like the circuit so I'm really looking forward to Friday."
Despite MIE Racing's presence, it has since been announced the RC Squadra Corse BMW team - which fields Eugene Laverty - has withdrawn from the event
