KUALA LUMPUR – National Moto2 rider Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah is set to make his debut in the Superbike World Championship (WSBK) with the Mie Racing Honda Team next season.
This puts an end to speculations about his future in the World Motorcycle Championship (MotoGP), especially after he had hinted that he was ready to end his career at the end of this season after competing in the MotoGP since 2014.
Hafizh, who is nicknamed El Pascao (Little Fish) for his ability to ride well in wet conditions, is currently in Spain to complete the Moto2 season with the NTS RW Racing GP Team in the Valencian GP at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit tomorrow.
“First of all, I want to thank (MIE Racing Honda Team principal) Midori Moriwaki for coming all the way from Japan to Valencia, where I will be competing in my final race in MotoGP as a Moto2 rider before I begin riding in the WSBK in 2022 with the MIE Honda Racing Team.
“So, I hope to give my best. I am especially thankful to my family for always supporting me, like my father and my wife, as well as my friends and fans,” the 27-year-old said in a video clip shared with the media today.
The switch to WSBK will also see the rider, who hails from Ampang, end his eight-year journey in the MotoGP, including two seasons competing in the premier class in 2018 and 2019, since he began riding in the World Motorcycle Championship in 2014.
Meanwhile, Moriwaki admitted that the team had been following Hafizh’s career since 2011.
“We have been following Hafizh’s career over the years, ever since he ran his first wildcard race in the Moto2 on Moriwaki bike (Malaysia 2011) at just 16 years of age. He is one of many strong riders to have emerged from the vibrant and competitive racing scene on the Asian continent.
“Hafizh is very talented and competitive and will be a very valuable addition to our team and the Superbike World Championship,” he said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Moriwaki confirmed that Hafizh will team up with experienced Argentine rider Leandro Mercado for the 2022 WSBK season. – Bernama, November 13, 2021
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