Friday, January 15 2021

Glenn Irwin will remain with the Honda Racing team for the 2021 Bennetts British Superbike Championship season, and he's joined by Japanese contender Ryo Mizuno aboard the team's race-winning  CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP.

Irwin remains with Honda after a successful debut year with the team; during the 2020 season he enjoyed a win and five podium finishes, eventually wrapping up the season in fourth place overall, showing the potential of the new Fireblade as he targets the title in 2021. 

Honda Racing UK has announce a brand-new project with Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - the Honda Superbike Challenge Program,  supporting racers competing in national championships worldwide, to take further steps in their racing careers.

Joining forces with Honda's head office in Japan, the programme will see Honda Racing UK's participation in the British Superbike Championship sit within Honda's global racing activities from MotoGP, World Superbike and the All-Japan Championship.

As part of the 'Honda Superbike Challenge Program', Honda Racing UK have signed Ryo Mizuno for the 2021 Bennetts British Superbike Championship aboard the race winning CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP. Bringing a wealth of experience from the All-Japan series, as well as the Suzuka 8 Hours aboard Fireblade machinery, this will be the first time Ryo has raced on UK soil.

Ryo Mizuno: "I'm really looking forward to this new challenge, signing a deal with the Honda Racing UK team to ride the new CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP in the British championship. Thanks to all my family, friends and personal sponsors. I can't wait to get started and hope to have a lot of success in front of our fans later this year."

Glenn Irwin: "I'm really happy to continue with Honda Racing and to carry on the development of the new Fireblade. 2020 was a really refreshing year that perhaps brought success earlier than I anticipated. For 2021 we have extensive development to go through which for sure will improve our package further. That said, there won't be any room for complacency which I have experienced before, so we won't be making bold predictions from a results perspective. As a team we know from the work carried out over the winter, we have a strong base to continue developing the Fireblade. Working with Ryo is exciting in itself, with Ryo coming from a completely different racing background. I am excited to see how his feedback improves us."

Stuart Higgs - Series Director, Bennetts British Superbike Championship: "The inclusion of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship within Honda's global racing activities is great recognition, especially in these turbulent times. As the championship celebrates its 25th Anniversary season, comparisons will of course be drawn to the period of HRC factory participation and the success of Ryuichi Kiyonari which I am sure new signing Ryo Mizuno will wish to emulate. Honda in the UK is a cornerstone of the British Championship and 2021 will see increased representation in the BSB and Superstock classes and a continuation of the Honda British Talent Cup, designed to propel the next generation of British riders into World Championship competition."