Continuing to field four talented riders as it did during the 2024 season, the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team will take on WorldSBK with British rider Tarran Mackenzie and Malaysian category rookie Zaqhwan Zaidi. Meanwhile, in WorldSSP, Japanese rider Kaito Toba prepares for his second season with the squad alongside Malaysia’s Syarifuddin Azman who is set to make his world championship debut this season.

With this new line-up, the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team aims to build on past performance and inject new energy into the project. The riders bring a wealth of experience from across different championships and categories with the Malaysian rookies gaining their first opportunity to compete on the world stage, thanks to the support of Midori Moriwaki and PETRONAS, both on a mission to facilitate the growth of young Asian riders.

This also underscores PETRONAS’ commitment in nurturing and providing homegrown riders with an opportunity to carve their professional path on the global stage.

The 2025 livery retains some of the elements of the 2024 graphics, not least the characteristic PETRONAS green that serves as the base as well as the PETRONAS logo, which stands out on the side fairing. Striking black stripes are introduced on the tank, paired with a new black lower fairing and additional black details, in contrast with the white of previous versions. These bold black additions are also reflected on the riders’ leathers, making for a more aggressive aesthetic.

Following constructive winter testing sessions in Spain, Portugal and Australia, the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team is fully prepared to take on the challenge ahead. The gloves are off for the opening round of the WorldSBK and WorldSSP championships, taking place this very weekend, on 21-23 February, at the Phillip Island Circuit in Australia.

Midori Moriwaki – Team Owner

“I am very pleased to launch our 2025 WorldSBK and WorldSSP campaign with our four riders. This is our third year partnering with PETRONAS and I know we have a strong structure in terms of squad. Already this coming weekend we will open the door to the next era of the project. Beyond the Best!”

Tarran Mackenzie – WorldSBK #95

“I’m looking forward to my second WorldSBK season with the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team. Unfortunately, the weather impacted on our winter testing programme somewhat, but I feel we have a solid package and strong potential heading into this new championship season. A year of Superbike experience also means I now have knowledge of all the tracks on the calendar, several of which were new to me last season of course. Some of the newer tracks take a bit of getting used to, so having that experience is bound to be beneficial. The overall aim is to continue to make progress and to improve on our best results of the 2024 season.”

Zaqhwan Zaidi – WorldSBK #21

“Racing in the WorldSBK has always been a dream and I am truly honoured to represent Malaysia and compete with the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team, in what is, my first season. I know that the championship level is very high, but I am ready for this new challenge and want to learn and do my very best for the team. I am excited to get started and thank both Midori Moriwaki and PETRONAS for this precious opportunity.”

Kaito Toba – WorldSSP #27

“I’m looking forward to starting the season, my second in the Supersport World Championship. I gained a lot of valuable experience last year and now feel quite comfortable riding the 600. So, I’m excited to get to work with my team and build on last season’s performance. With that in mind, my first goal is to place consistently inside the top ten. Let’s see what we can do already this weekend at the opening round, here in Australia. I’m ready to go.” 

Syarifuddin Azman – WorldSSP #63

“It’s an incredible feeling to join the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team and I am excited to climb aboard my CBR600RR and to make Malaysia proud. As for the championship, I will do my best to learn and gain experience at every single race weekend. I would like to thank PETRONAS and the team for giving me this opportunity; now it’s time to get to work!”