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Morais to race at Estoril for ORELAC Racing

Tuesday, 13 October 2020 10:20 GMT

WorldSSP race winner Sheridan Morais will return to WorldSBK competition at the Estoril Round for the first time since 2016

South Africa-born rider Sheridan Morais will compete in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship once again as he returns to the competition for the first time since 2014, having agreed to compete for ORELAC Racing VerdNatura at the upcoming Pirelli Estoril Round. Morais competed in 30 WorldSBK races across three seasons in 2009, 2010 and 2014 and he has also won races in the FIM Supersport World Championship.

The 35-year-old will compete on the Kawasaki ZX-10RR run by the ORELAC Racing outfit, the first time he will have competed in WorldSBK in four years, although he did not start his two races in 2016. He has previously raced on a Kawasaki machine in WorldSBK for all but four of his previous races in the Championship, where he secured a best result of 11th at Kyalami in 2009.

In his one full season of WorldSBK competition, in 2014, Morais finished the Championship in 18th place having secured a best result of 12th at Jerez. Morais has stepped onto the podium in the World Superbike paddock before having secured three podiums, including a win, across his WorldSSP career while he also secured two podium finishes in STK100.

Morais, who races under a Portuguese flag, discussed his return to WorldSBK and said: “I am very happy and honoured to have a chance at my home date of the Superbike World Championship with the ORELAC Racing VerdNatura team aboard the incredible Kawasaki ZX-10RR. Thanks to José Calero. I can't wait to join him and his son Nacho (who was my teammate in 2013) and the rest of the team.”

ORELAC Racing VerdNaturea Team Owner, José Calero, explained: “As always I am happy to be able to give a rider like Sheridan a chance since we all know that pilots with his talent are difficult to find. You have a good opportunity to show that your work and perseverance is to be among the best. This is the last race of this tough season for us, but we have not stopped showing that our team has a serious and consolidated structure. That is why, for a few races, we have been preparing for the coming season with the KRT and Kawasaki official team to be able to start the next year even stronger with the improvements of the Kawasaki. We already know the rider that we will take in SBK® in the 2021 season and it will be made public shortly.”

You can follow all the action from the Pirelli Estoril Round with the WorldSBK VideoPass!