The PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team is gearing up for round seven of the 2025 Supersport World Championship, taking place this weekend at the British circuit of Donington Park. For this upcoming round, the team will field permanent rider Kaito Toba and substitute rider Luca Ottaviani.

31-year-old Ottaviani will deputise for Syarifuddin Azman, who will take part in this weekend’s ARRC round in Motegi, Japan as he continues to build his racing craft on the international stage. Italian rider Ottaviani will be riding the CBR600RR for the first time. With previous WorldSSP experience, Luca will be keen to do well but acknowledges the steep learning curve that awaits him.

Toba will meanwhile be looking to turn his recent fortune around. In the points zone at both Phillip Island and Cremona, the Japanese rider has since suffered a series of setbacks but remains determined to improve on recent performance and boost his points tally. A test day at Balaton Park has also provided him and his team with more useful data and ideas as they head into the second half of the WorldSSP season.

Located in the English county of Leicestershire, Donington Park served as the stage for the very first WorldSBK races back in 1988. The track has undergone modifications over the years, most recently in 2017 when significant updates were made to the paddock infrastructure. The track currently measures 4.023 km and is made up of twelve turns (seven right-handers, five left-handers). It is the oldest British track still in operation today, having been inaugurated in 1931.

Kaito Toba

“We had a one-day test at Balaton Park before the upcoming WSSP round, which gave us a few ideas to improve the performance of the bike. I’m grateful we had that opportunity, as it’s vital in order to have good information so that we don’t need to try out too many solutions over the race weekend, when time is very limited. We’re hoping to confirm the modifications already at Donington and start the weekend in the right direction. As always, I’m eager to get out on track and do my best - if we’re lucky with the weather, it’ll be a good occasion to make a step forward.”

Luca Ottaviani

“First, I want to thank Midori san for giving me the opportunity to take part in WorldSSP. I’ve never been to Donington Park, but I’ve seen it on TV of course and it looks like a great circuit. I’m looking forward to getting started and can’t wait to ride the CBR600RR, which I think can be competitive. We’ll try to do our best and fly the flag for the team.”

Track Information:

Country: UK
Name: Donington Park
Length: 4.023 km
Pole position: left
Corners: 7 right, 5 left

SSP RECORDS: Best lap: Montella (Ducati) 1'28.637 (2024). Superpole – Huertas (Ducati) 1'28.322 (2024).

2024 RESULTS: 

Race 1 - 1. Huertas (Ducati); 2. Manzi (Yamaha); 3. Montella (Ducati)
Race 2 – 1. Huertas (Ducati); 2. Montella (Ducati); 3. Navarro (Ducati)

Weekend schedule (CET -1): 

Friday
11.20 – 12.00 – SSP Free Practice 1
16.00 – 16.40 – SSP Superpole

Saturday
9.50 - 10.00 – SSP Warm-up
13.35 – SSP Race 1

Sunday
9.40 – 9.50 – SSP Warm-up
15.15 – SSP Race 2