Former Moto2 rider Steven Odendaal has firmly set his sights on the 2021 WorldSSP title but will have to contend with the likes of Randy Krummenacher and Dominique Aegerter.

The South African will ride for reigning champions Evans Brothers Yamaha as he steps into the shoes of Andrea Locatelli, who cruised to the championship win last year.

“Obviously, I am very excited but of course, it comes with its pressure: going into a team who have won the Championship for the last two years,” said Odendaal.

“I’m excited because I know they have the package it takes to win, so there is no doubt that the team is good enough to do it. Also, they have a lot of input and data from the past two years.

“They pretty much have the fastest laps at every track and that data becomes very valuable to a rider like me, who is in his second season and looking to fight for the title.

“The clear target is to be World Supersport Champion; that is what I’ve been focusing all my efforts on this year. It won’t be easy but definitely that’s one of my goals. I think we can be a power package in 2021, with some competition coming back from WorldSBK such as Federico Caricasulo and the likes of Randy Krummenacher returning, alongside Dominique Aegerter, Philipp Oettl and Jules Cluzel.

“These are some of the top dogs, but I believe I’ve got the best team to fight for the title. Cluzel has always been a consistent and clever rider, if he can’t take first then he’ll take second, which is dangerous for the title as he is always there at the end.”