Axel Bassani joins Ducati ranks as 2021 WorldSBK grid grows to
Axel Bassani steps up from WorldSSP to the 2021 WorldSBK Championship grid with Motocorsa Racing on a Ducati Panigale V4 R
Member for
54 years 9 monthsAxel Bassani is the latest rider to join a growing 2021 WorldSBK Championship grid after penning a deal to join the Motocorsa Racing Ducati team.
The 21-year old will become one of the youngest riders on the WorldSBK grid this season but has amassed experience from competing in both WorldSSP and the Italian CIV Superbike series in recent years, plus outings at Superstock and Moto2 level.
A triple podium winner in the CIV Superbike series, Bassani competed with Soradis Yamaha Motoxracing for his first full season of WorldSSP in 2020, collecting a best finish of eighth in Estoril.
Ducati Panigale V4 S REVIEW
Having been enlisted by Motocorsa Racing to conduct a post-season test at Estoril, the Italian will now get a full season in WorldSBK, becoming the fifth rider from WorldSSP to make the step up to WorldSBK in 2021.
Motocorsa Racing made its WorldSBK debut in 2020 with Leandro Mercado, the Argentine notching up a best of two tenth place results during an injury-hampered campaign.
With a year of experience now under Motocorsa’s belt, team manager Lorenzo Mauri says he wants to harness that knowledge and apply it to developing fresh Italian talent.
“I am firmly convinced and aware as well as enthusiastic about the great challenge that we will face, as a team and as a rider, competing with official and independent teams with a wealth of important experience resulting from years of participation in the Superbike World Championship.
“Being a young rookie in the WorldSBK category, we will give you all our commitment, a child of our philosophy of life (always give 110% and try to make the impossible possible).
“It will be a Championship that will see us grow from race to race, increasing the harmony between the already tested working group with which we have been collaborating for several years and I will put myself at your disposal with all my commitment and experience both on the track and inside the garage.
“There would have been easier ways to go but our character leads us to accept with passion the most difficult challenges, such as taking a rookie and throwing him into the fray.
“I had the opportunity to see Axel's approach to riding in a short test held last season at the Estoril circuit and I saw in his eyes the hunger to learn and a desire to grow truly out of the ordinary. This is why I decided that he was the right rider for next season, I confirm the most difficult road.”
2021 WorldSBK Championship grid (so far)
2021 WorldSBK Championship Rider Line-up (so far) | |||
Team | Motorcycle | Rider #1 | Rider #2 |
Kawasaki Racing Team | Kawasaki ZX-10RR | Jonathan Rea | Alex Lowes |
Pata Yamaha WorldSBK | Yamaha YZF-R1 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | Andrea Locatelli (R) |
Aruba.it Ducati | Ducati Panigale V4 R | Scott Redding | Michael Ruben Rinaldi |
BMW WorldSBK Motorrad | BMW M 1000 RR | Tom Sykes | Michael van der Mark |
Team HRC | Honda CBR1000RR-R | Alvaro Bautista | Leon Haslam |
GRT Yamaha Junior Team | Yamaha YZF-R1 | Garrett Gerloff | Kohta Nozane (R) |
Kawasaki Puccetti Racing | Kawasaki ZX-10RR | Lucas Mahias (R) | |
Orelac Racing | Kawasaki ZX-10RR | Isaac Vinales (R) | |
RC Squadra Corse | BMW M 1000 RR | Eugene Laverty | |
Barni Racing | Ducati Panigale V4 R | Tito Rabat | |
Team Go Eleven | Ducati Panigale V4 R | Chaz Davies | |
Outdo Kawasaki TPR | Kawasaki ZX-10RR | Loris Cresson | |
Benovo Action MGM | BMW M 1000 RR | Jonas Folger (R) | |
Motocorsa Racing | Ducati Panigale V4 R | Axel Bassani (R) | |
Gil Motorsport | Yamaha YZF-R1 | Christophe Ponsson | |
Ten Kate Racing | Yamaha YZF-R1 | TBC | |
MIE Racing | Honda CBR1000RR-R | TBC |