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SBK, It's official: Stefan Bradl will be in Superbike with Honda

"Staying in MotoGP just to be another number would not have made sense. With Hayden we'll be a fantastic combination"

It's official: Stefan Bradl will be in Superbike with Honda

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With Honda signing former Moto2 champion Stefan Bradl in Superbike, one of the last pieces falls into place for the factory derivative championship. The German rider will replace 2014 Supersport champion 2014  Michael van der Mark, who will head to Yamaha alongside Alex Lowes.

Since debuting in 125 in the World Championship in 2005, the German rider who was born into the trade (his father, Helmut finished 2nd in the 1991 250 championship) has taken 19 podiums and seven wins across all classes in Grand Prix racing. After winning the 2011 Moto2 World Championship, Bradl moved up to MotoGP and took a pole position and a podium in Laguna Seca in 2013 with LCR Honda, before moving to Gresini Racing Team Aprilia to partner Alvaro Bautista.

"I looked at all the possibilities to stay in MotoGP, since I basically grew up in Grand Prix Racing, but staying just to be another number would not have made sense. I ’m really happy to join the Honda WorldSBK Team for the 2017 season – said Bradl It’s a great opportunity for me and I’m really looking forward to this new challenge with a really competitive team and I’m sure we’ll do great things together. Of course, this is going to be a whole new experience for me but I will try to adapt as quickly as possible, in order to get some really good results. I can’t wait to try the Fireblade and, obviously, it’ll be fantastic to work together with Nicky: I think it’s a fantastic combination because we understand each other really well. We can all look forward to the future and I am super motivated for this new journey."

" We are very excited to welcome Stefan Bradl into our team and the WorldSBK paddock – added Ronald Ten Kate, Team Manager – Stefan  has chosen to ride with Honda in World Superbike and we will be sure to repay his trust in us in the best possible way. In the meetings we’ve had so far, he gave us a clear view on his goals and the way to get there, and it is clear that we share the very same approach to racing. Like every other rider coming from MotoGP, he’ll need to get used to the different character of production-based motorcycles and tyres – as well as learn the new tracks on the calendar – but considering he is still very young, I’m sure he will learn fast!"

Translated by Jonathan Blosser
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