Barni Ducati will look towards the next generation of racing star for its 2022 WorldSBK Championship after revealing it has signed breakout WorldSSP talent Luca Bernardi.
The Italian team is one of WorldSBK’s esteemed privateer entrants, achieving podiums and top six results with the likes of Xavi Fores and Michael Ruben Rinaldi in recent years.
However, after joining forces with ex-MotoGP rider Tito Rabat, the team has struggled to make an impression this season with the experienced Spaniard - Moto2 World Champion in 2014 - exiting the team after eight events, replaced by Samuele Cavalieri.
For 2022, however, Barni Ducati has dipped into the WorldSSP talent pool to sign 20-year old Bernardi in a two-year deal.
The San Marino rider made his WorldSSP debut with the CM Racing Yamaha team this season, riding as high as third in the standings with five podiums to his name before a clash in Magny-Cours left him with a fractured vertebra and brought an early end to his campaign.
Nonetheless, Bernardi is excited by the prospect of jumping on the Ducati Panigale V4 R when he is back to full fitness.
“Racing in Superbike is a dream come true,” he said. “I decided to accept the offer from the Barni Racing Team because they proved to me that they believe in my growth more than anyone else.
Marco Barnabò stood by me even after the Magny Cours crash, and he decided to bet on me even after the accident. I want to thank him for this opportunity and I will try to adapt quickly to the bike trying to be competitive as soon as possible. I'm looking forward to getting to know the team and I hope to start working with them very soon.”
With Bernardi’s signing coming under the watchful eye of the Ducati factory, team manager Marco Barnabo confirms Barni will continue to receive works material for 2022.
“I have been following Luca since the beginning of the season and his performance has impressed me since the first rounds.
“His growth has been steady, but also very fast. He immediately went strong in World Supersport, even on tracks he had never seen before, and this convinced me to invest in him.
“In the next two years we want to give him the opportunity to grow with the right time to prove his worth and our team will invest in providing him a bike with the same components as the Ducati factory team.”
