Now it's out. Things had been quiet around the Kawasaki camp for a long time, but now team boss Emil Weber has revealed the secret. The 30-year-old Argentine Leandro Mercado has signed with the Kawasaki Weber-Motos Racing Team for the 2023 IDM Superbike season and will be riding the ZX-10 RR. Will this help the “Greens” return to the podium?
Weber is more than confident in his choice of rider. “We started looking around after the Hockenheim finale. With Florian Alt signing with Honda, Leandro Mercado became available there. We were eager to bring him onto our team.” Weber noted that “Tati” Mercado had “done a great job and clearly helped develop the Honda.” The longtime World Superbike rider competed in four IDM events in 2022 and secured four podium finishes in the eight races he entered.
If Weber has his way, these results will come just as easily at Kawasaki. In any case, the team boss has already noticed: “Tati is hungry for success.” The first joint test is scheduled to take place in just a few weeks, in February. The Kawasaki ZX-10 RR is up to date, and an update may follow.