Press Release | February 21, 2020
Jordi Torres back again on the 2020 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship grid.
MIE Racing founder Midori Moriwaki to announce the signing of Spanish rider Jordi Torres, who will join Takumi Takahashi on the 2020 Prague-based squad for the 2020 Motul FIM Superbike World Championship.
Torres has had strong rides in World Superbike and took a first race win at the Losail International Circuit in 2015. Having enjoyed great success in 2019 in WorldSBK with top six performances, Torres aims to continue at the front of the Independent battle.
The Spaniard will mount his fourth different manufacturer in as many seasons, having been with BMW in 2017, MV Agusta in 2018 and Kawasaki in 2019. Pulling all of that versatility together and using all of his experience in World Superbike, Torres will be key in developing the CBR1000RR-R, fresh out the box for the 2020 season. The 32-year-old will be back on track from Jerez, starting his season at his home round.
The MIE Racing Althea Honda Team unveiled their 2020 livery, something completely different in comparison to their 2019 look. The team will be sporting a stealth-like all-black livery.
Takumi Takahashi and Midori Moriwaki were on stage with the CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP racebike at the Honda Welcome Plaza Aoyama, the iconic Honda Motor HQ located in the heart of the Japanese capital of Tokyo, when both Team HRC and MIE Racing unveiled their liveries. The Japanese rider will now fly to Australia where he will take part in a two-day test on Monday and Tuesday, before the opening round kicks off on Friday at the Phillip Island circuit.
Midori Moriwaki | Team Principal of MIE Racing: “The 2020 racing season is going to be a very special one and I’m very proud to see the MIE Racing name on the world stage, supported by Honda and HRC. I am very grateful for this precious backing. Thanks to the strong relationship with Honda and Althea Racing, we started our WorldSBK work last year and now, with the new CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP, such a special bike, we renew our commitment, on track with HRC rider Takumi Takahashi.
I’m also delighted to announce here, in the special setting of Honda Welcome Plaza Aoyama, that we have signed Jordi Torres, who completes our 2020 line-up. Jordi will join the MIE racing Althea Honda Team as of the third round (Jerez).
We know we are in for a demanding season, as everything is new and we are up against some very strong rivals, but we also have the experience and knowledge gained during the 2019 season, which will be of real value.”
Takumi Takahashi: “I’m very happy to be racing in the WorldSBK championship this year. To race at world level was always my dream since day one. It’s now become true and I wish to thank HRC, Honda and MIE Racing for this great opportunity. It’s the first time I will work with an international squad, but communication has been good and I immediately realised that we share the same goals. We know it will be hard work and a challenging season, but I’m really motivated to see where we can end up. I’ll do my best to reach the best possible level.”
Jordi Torres: “I’m thrilled to have the chance to race in the WorldSBK championship with Honda and the MIE Racing Althea Honda Team. I’m prepared to work closely with the team, bringing my own experience but also learning from them. I’m sure that by combining our efforts, we will be able to continuously improve our performance and our results over the season. I am looking forward to riding the new Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP and will do my best for the team, Honda and all our fans.”
About Midori Moriwaki, founder and team principal of MIE Racing / founder of Midori Corporation:
Midori Moriwaki is daughter of Mamoru Moriwaki and granddaughter of Hideo “Pops” Yoshimura. Working with her father at Moriwaki Engineering Co., Ltd., she led the company’s competitive racing division in addition to growing the company’s domestic and international sales. She worked her way to an executive position as Managing Director at Moriwaki Engineering and led Moriwaki Engineering’s racing teams to successes in the All Japan Road Race Championships, MotoGP, Moto2 and more. Moriwaki founded the Moriwaki Cup, a global initiative that promotes youth riders and provides scholarships. In 2018, Moriwaki began the Midori Corporation, and, in 2019, she has started her own team “MIE Racing” in the Czech Republic to compete in the Superbike World Championship (WSBK) for a full season.
For more information about Honda Racing Corporation, visit www.hondaracingcorporation.com
For more information about MIE Racing, visit mie.team