WSB: Aruba.it Ducati unveil 2021 livery

The factory Aruba.it Ducati team has unveiled the Panigale V4 R livery which will takes its place on the 2021 World Superbike grid.

As with all team presentations this year, due to Covid-19, the Ducati reveal was made virtually through the team’s social media channels. The updated design is mostly the same as last year’s paint scheme, albeit with some small sponsorship changes.

Related articles on MCN

• Alex Lowes makes his return from injury
• Team HRC complete two-day Jerez Test
• Team GoEleven Ducati reveal 2021 livery

Title sponsor Aruba remains as the largest sponsor on this year’s livery, whilst Lenovo, sponsors of the factory MotoGP team, also have a large presence on the V4 R. 

Scott Redding remains with the team for 2021 and is hoping to build on an impressive debut WorldSBK campaign. The 2019 Bennetts British Superbike champion ended 2020 with five victories, 14 podiums, one pole position and three fastest laps.

Redding finished second overall but was 55 points behind six-time champion Jonathan Rea. With a year under his belt in the World Championship, Redding is aiming to push the Northern Irishman harder in 2021. 

“The difference from the 2020 season going into the 2021 season is the experience that I’ve gained,” Redding explained. “I’m not going to every circuit… it’s not that I don’t know the track, but I don’t know it with a superbike, the tyres, the brakes. Small details but it means I need to start lower down than the other guys and play catch-up. On top of that, there were new circuits for me to learn as well. The new format in WorldSBK compared to all the other racing I’ve done in my career.

“Going for 2021, I’ve got all that in my pocket so I’m looking forward to being able to start on the same level as the other guys at the beginning and being able to fight for more victories. My strong point as a rider I think is the mentality. I arrived in this Championship deeply believing that I have a chance to win the title and we extended the challenge until the last round. It was a great result and now I’m hungry to be able to take that step towards the title.”

Redding is joined in the factory team by Michael Ruben Rinaldi, who enjoyed a breakout campaign with the satellite Team GoEleven outfit last year. The Italian secured his and the team’s maiden WorldSBK victory at Aragon and also clinched two further podiums to end the year seventh overall on his V4 R. 

“After the Superstock 1000 Title with the Aruba.it Junior Team, now it feels like coming home to my family,” Rinaldi said. “Wearing these colours is a great honour, and it makes me very proud. I think all the guys in the team are proud too because it means that the job done in the Superstock 1000 championship was the right one. We aim higher this year.

“The 2020 season was very positive because I won my first race: a beautiful memory, a goal I had been pursuing for a long time. But now the bar is set higher, and I will work harder. Joining the factory team means having all the support from the Aruba.it Racing – Team, and from the guys at Ducati. We’ll have to work with new components, and I think I have the right technical support and the ideal environment to try and achieve good results.”

Redding and Rinaldi will both be at the official WorldSBK test in Barcelona on March 31-2 April. The opening round of the season is scheduled to take place at Aragon on May 21-23.