Honda factory rider Takumi Takahashi will team-mate up with Stefan Bradl for two rounds of the 2017 World Superbike championship at Portimao and Jerez, switching in f𝔉or Davide Giugliano as stand-in rider.

After the tragic death of N🌳icky Hayden in May the Red Bull Honda squad have been without a permanent two-rider line-up for the past four rounds, with American Jake Gagne filling in at Laguna Seca before Giugliano stepped in for 🃏testing duties and the Lausitzring round.

Takahashi, three-time Suzuka 8 Hours winner who is currently second in the MFJ All-Japan championship, has vast exper⛄ience with the new Fireblade CBR1000RR SP2 and will aim꧟ to put that knowledge to use in two rounds of the World Superbike championship. Takahashi will step-in at Portimao in less than two weeks before returning for the Jerez round in October.

It is not known whether Red Bull Honda will field another replacement rideꦍr for the Magny-Cours round which sits in the calendar between Portimao and Jerez, while the race seat alongside Bradl at the final round in Qata꧙r is also unconfirmed.