Supersport, official: Oliver Bayliss with Barni in 2022

The rumour is now confirmed and, while certain sources hinted at a possible agreement with Motocorsa more than a year back, we now know where Oliver Bayliss’ future lies - with the Barni Racing Team. Marco Barnabò’s Ducati team and the young Australian will join forces in 2022.

And so father Troy will also be back in the paddock, we hope. The three-time world champion now launches his son who, if you look closely and think back to #21 when he arrived in Europe in 2000, bears a strong resemblance to his dad. Do they also share the same breakneck speed? We hope so, for our sake as well as that of the championship.

Supersport is currently undergoing huge change. The new regulation will favour the entry of engines over 600 cc, and so the Bolognese manufacturer will bring its Panigale 955 twin, a bike that promises big things. Oliver is likely to ride with the number 32.

Satisfaction all round for the Bayliss family and Ducati

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A star of the 2022 ASBK series, Oli comments: "I’m really happy to announce that I will be racing for Barni Racing Team in the World Supersport Championship on the Ducati Panigale V2. I’ve finished my school program, which means I can now put my focus completely on racing motorbikes, training and only that.”

Someone who knows all about Ducati, father Troy has this to say: "Oli has been brought up around racing, 2021 has been his first year on Ducati V4 R in the ASBK and taking the win in Darwin earlier this year came sooner than we thought, I think the move to Barni Racing Team is a great opportunity, I hope he enjoys the V-twin as much as I did”.

And here, the words of boss Marco Barnabò: "In 2022 we want to focus on young talents. We want to help young riders to be, in the future, the next champions both in Supersport and Superbike. That's why, when the opportunity to sign with Oliver for the Supersport Championship came, we immediately decided to take it in agreement with Ducati. Luca Bernardi is 20-years-old, Oli is 18. We've never had such a young team and for the first time we'll be on track with two bikes both in WorldSSP and WorldSBK. We were the first team to believe in bringing Ducati back to Supersport with the Panigale V2, and we're very proud to see the interest arising”.

Translated by Heather Watson

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