MAIKI ABE FIRST INTERVIEW: "The Norick Abe name was made by my father; I’d like to make Maiki Abe a name by myself"
As he follows in the footsteps of his dad, Maiki Abe is ready to shine brightly in 2023
The 2023 FIM Supersport World Championship is back in action at the TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands this weekend and with that, the FIM WorldSSP Challenge is also back. Eight riders will join the rest of the field to see if they can become the winner of the class, and there’s particular interest with one name. Maiki Abe (VFT Racing WEBIKE Yamaha), the son of the late great Norick Abe, will be making his World Supersport debut at Assen.
Abe has been racing in the Asian Road Race series in recent years and after showing potential, joins up with Fabio Menghi’s VFT outfit, already podium finishers in WorldSSP in 2023, building on their podium from 2022. Abe’s father, Norick, was revered in every paddock he raced in for his unique charisma and attitude, as well as he determination on-track. Norick won his home Grand Prix twice at Suzuka, in 1996 and 2000, as well as taking one other win and 14 other podiums. In 2005, he switched to WorldSBK aboard Yamaha R1 machinery, with plenty of top ten results and a best of fourth achieved at Brno, with two more fourth places coming in 2006. He finished 13th in both seasons. Now, his son aims to follow in his footsteps and return the Abe name to the front.
Talking about his excitement ahead of his highly anticipated World Supersport debut, Abe said: “I am very excited because I can ride with world top class riders. My teammate is very fast so I am looking forward to join VFT team. My optimistic target is top ten or even top five, but first of all, I’d like to compete with my teammate.”
Abe’s teammate this year is none other than reigning Italian champion Nicholas Spinelli, who made an emphatic start in Australia, with second place in Phillip Island’s Race 1. Spinelli is currently ninth in the Championship standings, but just four points away from seventh-placed John McPhee (Vince64 by Puccetti).
Talking about the legacy of his father and what it means to return the Abe name to the world stage, if he’s proud to do so and which other Japanese riders have inspired his journey: “Of course, but Norick Abe name was made because of my father; I would like to make Maiki Abe a name by myself. I respect Katsuyuki Nakasuga because I rode together with him, and then I can see his technique and riding skill. He has been at the top for many years in Japan.”
Returning to the topic of his World Championship debut, the weekend-specific aims and ambitions are to firstly get through it without dramas: “First of all, I would like to complete race week without any mistakes. It’s my first time at Assen and my first WorldSSP race, and Assen is a difficult circuit, so I have to stay strong and riding as much as I can to get use to the circuits.”
The 2023 WorldSSP field has a next generational feel to it: Oli Bayliss (D34G Racing) is back on the grid, son of three-time WorldSBK Champion and MotoGP™ race winner, Troy. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) returns and the 2022 WorldSSP Challenge winner is the nephew of five-time WorldSSP Champion, Kenan. Tarran Mackenzie (Petronas MIE Honda Team) is on the grid too, son of three-time BSB champion and seven-time Grand Prix podium finisher, Niall Mackenzie – fourth in the 500cc World Championship in 1990. Championship leader Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) is the son of top ten 250cc Grand Prix finisher Davide Bulega too.
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