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2011 Moto2 World Champion Stefan Bradl is set to replace 2014 WorldSSP Champion Michael van der Mark at Honda World Superbike Team, with the German confirmed to ride alongside 2006 MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship in 2017.

Since debuting in 125 in the World Championship in 2005, the German has taken 19 podiums and seven wins across all classes in Grand Prix racing. After winning the 2011 Moto2 World Championship, Bradl moved up to MotoGP and took a pole position and a podium in Laguna Seca in 2013 with LCR Honda, before moving to Gresini Racing Team Aprilia to partner Alvaro Bautista.

Honda paid thanks to outgoing rider Michael van der Mark after his four years with the squad in which the Dutchman took the 2014 WorldSSP crown and has so far accrued 8 WorldSBK podiums and a pole position.

“I’m really happy to join the Honda WorldSBK Team for the 2017 season,” says Bradl. “It’s a great opportunity for me and I’m really looking forward to this new challenge with a really competitive team and I’m sure we’ll do great things together. Of course, this is going to be a whole new experience for me but I will try to adapt as quickly as possible, in order to get some really good results. I can’t wait to try the Fireblade and, obviously, it’ll be fantastic to work together with Nicky: I think it’s a fantastic combination because we understand each other really well. We can all look forward to the future and I am super motivated for this new journey.”

“We are very excited to welcome Stefan Bradl into our team and the WorldSBK paddock,” added Ronald Ten Kate, Team Manager. “Stefan has chosen to ride with Honda in World Superbike and we will be sure to repay his trust in us in the best possible way. In the meetings we’ve had so far, he gave us a clear view on his goals and the way to get there, and it is clear that we share the very same approach to racing. Like every other rider coming from MotoGP, he’ll need to get used to the different character of production-based motorcycles and tyres – as well as learn the new tracks on the calendar – but considering he is still very young, I’m sure he will learn fast!”

The rest of the 2016 season will see van der Mark and Hayden keep pushing to take more wins and podiums for the Honda team, before Bradl takes over in time for the 2017 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship to see the squad fight at the front once again.