Norick Abe’s son gets World Supersport seat for 2023 MotoGP
An official announcement is yet to be made but - after running Kyle Smith, Johan Gimbert and Marc Alcoba alongside Marcel Brenner on Yamaha machinery this season - the VFT team’s Instagram account now lists its riders as: ‘Nicholas Spinelli and Maiki Abe’.
A 19-year-old Abe took his first 500GP podium at Suzuka in 1995, but it was Suzuka '96 that Abe etched his name in the record books as the first home rider to win the 500cc Japanese GP, turning him into a national hero overnight. "It was like he was an artist; some days were incredibly good and the talent just flowed, but there were also bad days when nothing seemed to work. When everything felt right to him, it was amazing to watch.”
Norick remained contracted to Yamaha - his employer since 1995 - and returned home to compete in the Japanese Superbike Championship. Abe was holding position, with one round remaining, when he was tragically killed in a road traffic accident involving a truck in October 2007, at the age of just 32.One of the many people amazed by Abe's explosive 1994 Suzuka ride had been a young Valentino Rossi, who later adopted the nickname 'Rossifumi' in tribute.
Fittingly, Maiki Abe was among the young riders chosen by Yamaha to take part in this year’s VR46 Master Camp at Rossi’s ranch and accompanied on his first trip to Europe by Norick's grandfather Mitsuo.
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