Hikari Okubo takes over from Niki Tuuli at Ajo for MotoE

With Niki Tuuli, MotoE's first race winner in 2019, returning to World Supersport this season, Hikari Okubo will move in the opposite direction by replacing the Finn at the Ajo MotoE team.

After wild-cards in 125 and then Moto3, Okubo went on to establish himself in WSS, claiming a best finish of fourth in the 2019 Imola round and fifth in the standings for Puccetti Kawasaki.

A switch to Dynavolt Honda in 2020 was far less successful and he will now make a fresh start in the electric bike class, where Tulli and Ajo finished sixth overall last season, including victory in their finale race together at Le Mans.

“I'm very happy to be part of the Avant Ajo MotoE team. Many Japanese have represented this family, so I have always held it in high regard. I know we can have strong races together," said Okubo.

"I will be the first Asian rider to compete in the FIM MotoE World Cup, so it is a very important step and I want to have some great achievements in the future of Japanese motorcycling. This season will not only be a personal milestone, but also a challenge for the new generation of Asian motorcycle talents.

"I can't wait to start working with my sights set on the title. If I win it, it would be a dream come true. I know that we have the potential to do great things, so I am going to do my best at every round this year."

Team manager Aki Ajo added: "I am very happy to be starting our third season in the FIM MotoE World Cup with Hikari Okubo, a Japanese talent who comes into the series off a solid spell in motorcycle racing. I am also pleased to see that the championship is evolving and improving with each year that goes by.

"Hikari Okubo has a lot of experience, since he has just competed in the World Supersport Championship. He has a long history of riding big bikes, and I'm sure this will help him to adapt well to our machine. Both the team and I are looking forward to starting to work together this year."