Michael Ruben Rinaldi has become the latest rider to secure his place on the 2024 WorldSBK Championship grid after penning a fresh deal with Motocorsa Racing.

The Italian joins the privateer Italian in place of Kawasaki-bound Axel Bassani after three seasons spent with the factory Aruba.it Racing Ducati team.

His arrival comes having just leapfrogged Bassani in the fight for fifth in the final 2023 WorldSBK Championship standings, albeit after a controversial coming together in Race 1 that earned the five-time WorldSBK race winner a penalty.

“2024 starts today! A new team, new people and one great goal... this is why Motocorsa is the right choice. It would be complex and undoubtedly reductive to explain in so few lines all the reasons why Motocorsa and I chose each other and together decided to undertake this great challenge for the 2024 season. 

“I would therefore like to use just two words: passion and ambition. Key words that were, from the first meeting with Lorenzo Mauri, the essence of a clear message that he wanted to convey to me, wanting me to be at the centre of a solid and competitive project to stay and aim, with a free mind, even higher. 

“A vision that matches perfectly with what I am looking for... a team that has the same passion as me for this sport, the ambition, the desire, and the spirit of sacrifice that are needed to achieve great results. For this reason, I am very happy, and I can't wait to start working with the team to create an excellent base on a technical level and a positive environment within the garage that can be productive and stimulating. 

“I want to thank Lorenzo Mauri and Team Motocorsa, Vittorino Mesaroli and Mesaroli Spa, Ducati and all the sponsors who made this project possible.”