WSB: Michael Ruben Rinaldi signs 2024 deal with Motocorsa Ducati

Michael Ruben Rinaldi will remain on Ducati machinery in the World Superbike Championship next season after signing a deal with independent team Motocorsa Racing.

The Italian was told that he’d lost his ride at the factory Aruba.it Racing Ducati team earlier in the year, and will be replaced by the team’s World Supersport Champion Nicolo Bulega. Meanwhile, Rinaldi takes the seat vacated by fierce rival Axel Bassani, who takes Jonathan Rea’s seat at Kawasaki.

Rinaldi was the only rider outside of the championship’s Titanic Trio (Alvaro Bautista, Toprak Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea) to win a race in 2023 and secured a total of nine podiums – a personal season record for Rinaldi.

However, Rinaldi also suffered multiple crashes along the way, and with Bulega dominating on the Supersport bike, rumours quickly surfaced of Rinaldi potentially being shown the door.

“2024 starts today! A new team, new people and one great goal… this is why Motocorsa is the right choice,” Rinaldi said. “It would be complex and undoubtedly reductive to explain in so few lines all the reasons why Motocorsa and I chose each other and together decided to undertake this great challenge for the 2024 season. I would therefore like to use just two words: PASSION and AMBITION.

“Key words that were, from the first meeting with Lorenzo Mauri, the essence of a clear message that he wanted to convey to me, wanting me to be at the centre of a solid and competitive project to stay and aim, with a free mind, even higher. A vision that matches perfectly with what I am looking for… a team that has the same passion as me for this sport, the ambition, the desire, and the spirit of sacrifice that are needed to achieve great results.

“For this reason, I am very happy, and I can’t wait to start working with the team to create an excellent base on a technical level and a positive environment within the garage that can be productive and stimulating. I want to thank Lorenzo Mauri and Team Motocorsa, Vittorino Mesaroli and Mesaroli Spa, Ducati and all the sponsors who made this project possible.”

Rinaldi has spent his entire WSB career within the Ducati family, making his debut in 2018 with the Aruba.it Racing Junior Team. That year, Rinaldi secured a best result of sixth a Brno before spending the next two seasons with Barni Ducati and Team GoEleven Ducati.

It was the 2020 season that truly put Rinaldi on the map as he bagged his maiden victory at Aragon, as well as two further podiums and a total of 12 top six finishes. This was enough to seal him a factory ride for 2021.

Prior to his Superbike career, Rinaldi was the 2015 Superstock 600 runner-up behind Razgatlioglu, whilst he was crowned 2016 Superstock 1000 Champion after getting the better of the Turkish racer.

Elsewhere within the Ducati WSB setup, former MotoGP rider Andrea Iannone has joined Team GoEleven for his Superbike debut, whilst Moto2 race winner Sam Lowes joins the series with current team Marc VDS.

Danilo Petrucci stays with Barni Racing after a successful maiden campaign onboard the V4 R.