WorldSBK, official: Rinaldi and Aruba Ducati together again in 2022

The news had been in the air for a while, particularly after Danilo Petrucci’s comments about his (off-roading) future, but now we have confirmation. Michael Ruben Rinaldi will stay with the Ducati Aruba team in 2022, flanking a returning Alvaro Bautista, who will take the place of Scott Redding.

A renewal that was already rumoured then, for a Rinaldi who is not exactly enjoying the best moment of his career right now. After a standout weekend at Misano, the Italian has only reached the podium in the Superpole Race at Assen. Might this renewal provide the right fuel with which to tackle the second part of the season?

Last spots to fill

Now that it has its factory team sorted, Ducati now needs to consider its satellite teams, where nothing is confirmed as yet. At Go Eleven it is unclear as to whether Chaz Davies will stay or in fact leave, charmed by the Honda sirens, while team Barni has to decide whether to continue on with Tito Rabat, short on results right now, or turn its attentions to another rider.

The Ducati market intersects with that of other manufacturers of course, not least Honda which, as we’ve said, needs to find a replacement for Bautista (Sykes a possible alternative to Davies), while also evaluating what can be done with Leon Haslam, as the Brit moves ever closer to 40.

Translated by Heather Watson

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