Mercado chooses EWC for new career chapter

Argentine Leandro Mercado has chosen the FIM Endurance World Championship to open the latest chapter of his career following successful stints in the FIM Superbike World Championship. The 31-year-old is joining Yannick Lucot’s Honda Viltaïs Racing for the 2023 EWC season when he will partner Florian Alt, Steven Odendaal and fourth rider James Westmoreland on the French team’s new-for-2023 #333 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade.

Ad It will be Marcado’s first experience in the EWC while his signing brings a rider from South America to the all-action championship for the first time in recent memory. FIM EWCADSS97 Kawasaki preparing to take next EWC step with new look line-upYESTERDAY AT 11:09 Nicknamed ‘Tati’, Mercado began his career in 2008 in the Red Bull AMA US Rookies Cup and he underlined his potential the following year by becoming AMA Supersport champion.

He moved to Europe in 2010 to compete in the Italian CIV Speed Championship before he stepped up to the FIM Superbike World Championship in 2012 for a partial campaign. Mercado claimed the European Superstock 1000 Cup title in 2014 on a privately-run Ducati ahead of a return to the Superbike World Championship for 2015.

A year of consistent finishing earned him a strong eighth place in the final order. After a year back on Superstock machinery, albeit as an official Ducati rider, Mercado returned to the World Superbike arena for 2017.

But he did so on top form after he scored three wins and one podium from eight starts in European Superstock, missing the 2016 title by four points. Having completed a six-year unbroken stint in World Superbikes, including two years riding with Honda power, Mercado will make his EWC debut in 2023 with the Bol d’Or-winning Viltaïs team,