ZAQHWAN ZAIDI

The PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team line up sees a new face in its WorldSBK wing , as Malaysian rider Zaqhwan Zaidi moves up from the MFJ All-Japan Road Racing Championship ( JSB ) and the Asian Superbike Championship . He was the overall winner in the Asian series in 2022 , and runner-up in 2023 . He has also raced in the WorldSSP class , way back in 2014 , when he scored seven points for a ninth place finish at his home round in Malaysia . His great experience of racing the CBR1000RR-R model - even in the 2023 Suzuka 8 Hours EWC round - should help his transition into WorldSBK racing .

ALEX LOWES

Arriving in WorldSBK in 2014 as the reigning BSB Champion , Lowes - the Alex version - had already raced in both the stock 600 and 1000 Championships within the WorldSBK paddock in the early years of his career . Now a vastly experienced WorldSBK rider , he found himself the de facto lead rider in the KRT squad last year , after the departure of six-times Champion Jonathan Rea . He grew into the role at a strong pace and won the first two races of the 2024 season at Phillip Island . On the new Bimota KB998 this year , bike and rider are both worthy of close attention .