WorldSSP round 3 beckons for the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team
Assen (The Netherlands)
The 2024 Supersport World Championship returns this week after almost a month’s break. The historic TT Circuit Assen in The Netherlands is set to stage this third championship round, in which the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team will line up with riders Khairul Idham Pawi and Kaito Toba.
The latest Catalunya round may have left the team wanting in terms of outright results, but there was nevertheless a general feeling of gradual growth on both sides of the garage. Although the two rookies have yet to ride a Supersport bike at the Dutch track, they both have significant experience of the circuit from their time in Moto2 and Moto3. The duo is therefore optimistic heading into the weekend, well aware that changeable weather conditions can also play a part.
One of the oldest circuits on the WorldSBK calendar, the TT Circuit Assen has welcomed WorldSBK since 1992. Located in the Drenthe province of The Netherlands, fans often refer to the circuit as the ‘Cathedral of Speed’ due to the fact it used to be banked, which made for extremely fast racing. Posing a technical challenge for riders, the track now measures 4.542 km in length and comprises eighteen turns.
Khairul Idham Pawi
“The goal at Assen remains the same – to try and finish inside the points zone and continue working on the bike throughout the weekend in order to improve our general performance. I’ll also be working to improve in myself. I’m looking forward to getting back to the track and racing again. Let’s see what we can do.”
Kaito Toba
“Assen will be an important round as Honda staff will be joining us for the weekend. We have worked hard through the tests and the first two rounds to gather as much feedback as possible, and this weekend will be valuable in terms of starting to put all the pieces together. I know Assen well from my time racing in the Moto3 World Championship, so I will do my best to continue with the development of the Honda machinery together with the technicians that will attend this WSSP event.”
Track Information
Country: The Netherlands
Name: TT Circuit Assen
Length: 4.542 km
Pole position: left
Turns: 6 left, 12 right
Race distance: 21 laps/95.382 km
LAP RECORDS: Best lap – Bulega (Ducati) 1’37.607 (2023). Superpole – Bulega (Ducati) 1’36.900 (2023).
2023 RESULTS:
Race 1 – 1. Bulega (Ducati); 2. Schroetter (MV Agusta); 3. Van Straalen (Yamaha)
Race 2 – 1. Bulega (Ducati); 2. Manzi (Yamaha); 3. Caricasulo (Ducati)
NOTE TO EDITORS: Please note that the current website and newsletter will remain active throughout this week but will no longer be updated after the conclusion of the upcoming Dutch WorldSBK round. If you wish to continue receiving updates about MIE Racing activities, we invite you to register on the new platform:
