KIWI RIDER 09 2019 VOL2 | Page 93

DUCATI WSBK TEAM GOES FULL BRIT Y ou don’t get much more representative of all things Italian than Ducati. But for the 2020 WSBK season the Aruba.it Racing - Ducati team will be fielding a set of British riders with the announcement that ex-MotoGP rider Scott Redding is all set to partner Chaz Davies in the 2020 championship on the factory Ducati Panigale V4R of the Italian team. The 26-year-old British rider will make the move to WSBK from the British Superbike Championship (BSB), where so far this season he has taken six wins and five pole positions and at the time of writing is sitting in second place in the overall standings. The 2020 WSBK season will be Redding’s seventh in the top echelons of motorcycle sport after a five-year presence in MotoGP and one year in BSB. “I’m so happy to join the Aruba.it Racing - Ducati team, which is something that I’ve wanted for a long time, because to be able to work with a team that can fight for a world title is really a great opportunity for me. Obviously, now I have to remain fully focused on the British Superbike Championship, because I want to try and win that title with the Be Wiser Ducati before stepping back up to a world championship again. A big thanks to all those people who have helped to make this dream happen, and now I can’t wait to get on the factory Panigale V4R bike in the World Superbike Championship.” “It is with great pleasure that we welcome Scott into our team”, said team principal Stefano Cecconi. “Despite being a rookie in BSB, on his first experience with the Panigale V4R and with numerous tracks he has never seen before, Scott has proved to be fast right out of the blocks and to be able to aim straight for the title. For this reason, we have been following him with interest and we were impressed with his form even before having to look for a team-mate for Chaz in the coming seasons. With his determination and experience, I’m convinced he will be quick right from the start, even on a WSBK-spec bike.” KIWI RIDER 93