BSB: MLAV Racing join the 2025 Superbike and Superstock grids as FHO Racing withdraw

Michael Laverty will enter his MLAV Racing team in the Bennetts British Superbike and Pirelli National Superstock Championships this season.

2023 Superstock champion Richard Kerr will ride the team’s BMW M1000 RR in the Superbike class, whilst 2024 IDM Superbike champion Ilya Mikhalchik will compete on the Superstock-spec machine.

Mikhalchik had previously signed with FHO Racing in BSB following the surprise departures of Peter Hickman and Davey Todd, however it has now been revealed that Faye Ho’s team will no longer be on the 2025 grid.

Meanwhile, Laverty’s racing empire continues to grow. The 10-time BSB race winner already has teams competing with the Moto3 World Championship, JuniorGP World Championship, European Talent Cup, the R&G British Talent Cup.

The Superbike and Superstock team is set to make its debut outing at the two-day Donington Park test on April 18-19, with a livery reveal expected at that event. A further two-days of testing is scheduled at Oulton Park on April 23-24, with the Cheshire circuit also hosting round one on May 3-5.

Laverty’s team reveal is yet another last minute change to the 2025 grid after what has been a dramatic off-season for BSB. As already mentioned above, Hickman and Todd left FHO Racing and formed their own team which will be known at 8TEN Racing. They will continue with BMW machinery.

Elsewhere, OMG Racing dropped a bombshell on April 1 when the reigning champions announced that they would not be on the 2025 grid just a few days before the start of pre-season testing in Spain. At the time, it left reigning champion Kyle Ryde, 2022 champion Bradley Ray, and newcomer Joe Talbot without rides.

However, in a surprise turn of events, the OMG team has been saved following an eleventh-hour partnership deal with Nitrous Competitions. Ryde will continue with the new version of the team onboard his Yamaha R1.

Meanwhile, Ray has signed with the returning Raceways Yamaha team, with Steve Rodgers returning to BSB after a season away. Rodgers’ team won the 2021 title with Tarran Mackenzie whilst running under the McAMS Yamaha banner.