In Misano Ryo Mizuno will make his first appearance in WorldSBK as he replaces the recovering Eric Granado

After suffering injuries in a crash at Catalunya the usual PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team rider, Eric Granado, is not allowed to race at the Misano round of the World Superbike Championship.

Due to the Brazilian rider being sidelined PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team have called in former BSB rider Ryo Mizuno to take his place. Mizuno has never raced in World Superbikes before so will be a new name to the grid this weekend.

Mizuno raced in BSB last season and finished 23rd overall, with a best result of 11th place at Brands Hatch. The Japanese rider has since been racing in the Japanese Superbike Championship this season and is currently fourth in the standings.

In BSB Mizuno raced for Honda Racing UK so has experience on the Honda CBR1000RR-R, but he has never tried it in World Superbike spec so it will be a complete new experience for the rookie.

Granado had this to say on his absence from Misano: “I’ve been slowly regaining my strength in the weeks since my crash and feel good actually, physically and mentally.

“As a rider I would like to race, and feel ready, but the doctors have said I can’t compete at Misano. The brain swelling I suffered was quite serious and I had to spend a week in hospital, after which the doctors would only let me walk, no other kind of training.

“It seems that there’s still some slight swelling now and so it would be unwise to race. The important thing is that I feel good in myself, so I’ll focus on gradually getting back into my training in order to be ready for the Donington round.”