WSB: Petronas MIE Racing Honda livery revealed ahead of season opener

The Petronas name returns to the World Superbike Championship this season after the Malaysian oil and gas company joined forces with MIE Racing Honda.

The iconic emerald green of Petronas takes over the liveries of the team’s WSB Honda Fireblades and World Supersport Championship Honda CBR600s. The livery is complete with white and a dash of dark blue, alongside Petronas Sprinta and Petronas Primax branding.

The title sponsorship deal is said to be a multi-year agreement, and sees the Petronas name return to the paddock in full capacity for the first time since the troubled Petronas FP1 project alongside Carl Fogarty came to an end in 2006.

Petronas were last seen in MotoGP as Yamaha’s satellite team. Fabio Quartararo, Franco Morbidelli and Valentino Rossi all rode for the team before Petronas decided to withdraw at the end of 2021. The project was also present in Moto3 and Moto2 under the Petronas Sprinta Racing banner, with Brits Jake Dixon and John McPhee both representing the team at one stage.

Malaysian rider Hafizh Syahrin and Brazilian rookie Eric Granado will represent the newly-names Petronas MIE Racing Honda team in the Superbike class.

“I’m very happy to be heading into my second WorldSBK season with the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda team,” Syahrin said. “The first year was tough but I’ve gained so much experience, thanks to both the team and other riders, and it will be interesting to see where we are this year.

“Our package is improved and there have been a few changes in terms of technical staff too. I am also more used to the electronics and tyres, which were new to me last year, and so I’ll be better prepared in that respect going into 2023. I’m very confident in continuing with the same team, and both they and I will do our best to support each other, trust the process and continue to learn race by race. The minimum aim is to finish every race inside the points.”

Granado joins the WSB paddock after finishing second overall in the MotoE World Championship, securing five wins along the way. He’s a four-time Brazilian Superbike Champion, and secured the Moto2 European Championship crown in 2017.

“First, I want to thank Midori and Honda for this opportunity,” Granado said. “It’s also great to represent Brazil on the WorldSBK grid, following in the footsteps of Alex Barros. This next season will be an important one for me and the team, and I’m excited to get started. I know the Honda already, but the SBK spec is very different, so I’ll need to get used to this, the electronics in particular, but I’m ready to learn.

“Everything will be new to me, after many years in the GP paddock, and I’ll need to be physically prepared considering the intense weekend schedule, but I feel ready. I’ll be facing some new tracks, but the team has data of course, so we’ll do our best to be as prepared as we can be.”

In the Supersport class, 2021 Bennetts British Superbike Champion Tarran Mackenzie will make his debut with the team. Mackenize’s 2022 BSB campaign was severely hampered by injury, but he’s now focused on making an impact on the world stage.

“I’ve had a great off-season and am looking forward to getting started,” Mackenzie said. “There’s a lot of history behind Midori and the Moriwaki family. She is passionate about racing and has put in a lot of effort to take another step up again this year. And we have PETRONAS on board too, a massive name in motorsport, which is great.

“As for me, the goal was always to return to world championship level and Midori and her team are now giving me that opportunity. It’s not going to be easy because there’s a lot of fast guys there, but I think starting in WorldSSP is a good move for me. I’ve been on the Superbike in BSB for five seasons now, but I think it’ll be good for me to ride the smaller and nimbler Supersport bike.

“I think this new Honda has great potential – we just need to take things one step at a time. On paper, I think it can be one of the strongest packages; I just need to get used to it after a few years on a Superbike. I can’t wait to get going to be honest.”

Malaysia will also be represented in the Supersport category with the arrival of Adam Norrodin as Mackenzie’s teammate. Norrodin has past experience in Moto3 and Moto2, and also finished second overall in the Supersport 600 Asia Road Racing Championship.

“I’m excited to be part of WorldSSP this season,” Norrodin said. “I’ve raced in various international series including Moto2 and Moto3, but World Supersport is a brand-new challenge for me. I’m nervous of course but also excited, and this is my first time riding the bike, so I know I have a lot of work to do.

“I have high expectations to be honest. Honda hasn’t competed in the 600 class over the last couple of years, but it has been very successful in this championship in the past, so we have a lot to live up to.

“PETRONAS is also a big name in racing and with their support, I think we can have a great season. I know that everything has been going well back at base, so I’m keen to see how we line up against the competition. I will fight as hard as I can and the aim is to be competitive, hopefully fighting on the front row.”

The team will be known as Petronas MIE MS Racing Honda in the Supersport class due to a new partnership with the MS Racing Team.