After his separation from Motoxracing, Tito Rabat's absence from the Superbike lasted just the Misano round. In fact, the Spanish rider will be back on the track at Donington riding the Honda of Midori Moriwaki's Petronas MIE team. This news was leaked just a few days ago, and it was now confirmed in the team's press release. Ivo Lopes will be taking to the track along with him. The Portuguese rider, who had already raced in several rounds of the Championship last year, will be replacing Malaysian rider Zaidi, who's busy in Motegi with the ARRC.
Donington Park, in the UK, will host the 7th round of the World Superbike Championship from July 11th to 13th. For this event, the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team will field experienced rider Tito Rabat along with Ivo Lopes, who'll be replacing Malaysian rider Zaqhwan Zaidi.
Next weekend, Zaidi will be participating in the ARRC round in Motegi, Japan. The event will provide him with another opportunity to progress and hone his skills in the international competition. He'll be replaced by Ivo Lopes, who's joining the team again for the British WorldSBK round. Lopes was part of the team during the 2024 season as a replacement during the Portimão, Magny-Cours, Cremona, Estoril, and Jerez rounds. The Portuguese rider has a solid understanding of the bike and the team, but he never competed at Donington, so a new challenge awaits him. The 28-year-old Lopes is intent on putting his best foot forward and taking advantage of this latest opportunity to perform on the World Championship stage.
On the other side of the garage, experienced SBK rider Tito Rabat will be racing with the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda team for the first time. Even if he has no experience with the Honda CBR1000RR, the 36-year-old fully comprehends the SBKs series, having made his WorldSBK debut in 2021 after many years in the 125cc, Moto2, and MotoGP World Championships. The 2014 Moto2 world champion is eager to prove what he can do riding the new bike at Donington, a track that combines narrow technical sections and wide corners.
Tito Rabat commented:"After missing the Misano round, I'm coming to the Donington round very motivated to do well. It'll be my first time riding the Honda Superbike and working with the team, without any preparation or testing, so it won't be easy. But it's a great opportunity, and I'll do my best to make the most of it. The goal will be to try to improve as much as possible, session by session. We'll see what we can do. I want to thank the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda team for the opportunity, and I hope to be up to the task!"
Ivo Lopes stated: "First of all, a big thank you to the team for giving me another chance to compete in the world championship. As for Donington, well, I don't know the track at all, so I'll have to work to understand it as quickly as possible. The goal is to interpret the track effectively, help the team as much as possible, and do the best I can. I know it's gloing to be tough, because I don't know the track, but I'm ready to work hard. Let's see what we can do."