Ducati announced today that they will not be participating in World Superbike competition next year. The Italian manufacturer, after winning 13 rider championships and 16 manufacturer titles since the inception of World Superbike in 1988, has decided to focus its technical resources on product development and limit its future participation in WSBK to the supply of machines and support to private teams.
“This decision is part of a specific strategy made by Ducati, the aim being to further increase technological content in production models that will arrive on the market in the coming years. In order to achieve this objective, the company’s technical resources, until now engaged with the management of the factory Superbike team, will instead be dedicated to the development of the new generation of hypersport bikes, in both their homologated and Superbike race versions”, declared Gabriele Del Torchio, President and CEO of Ducati. “I would like to thank Nori and Michel, and all of the riders that have contributed to the great history of Ducati in Superbike, but above all the Ducati employees; it is their hard work and professionalism that has allowed us to achieve such important results. A big thank you also to all of the partners that have supported us, first and foremost Xerox of course. I would also like to acknowledge the Flammini brothers who have managed the championship for so long, and the FIM, the organization with which we have continuous, constructive relations.”
Ducati feels that current WSBK regulations have allowed the series to move away from its production motorcycle-based roots towards a prototype machine competition, making participation in the championship more expensive. And with the current worldwide economic situation making securing sponsorship more difficult than ever, the Bologna firm has decided that working with privateers to test its new Superbike innovations before releasing them to the production market is a more financially viable route to take.
DUCATI’S WORLD SUPERBIKE RECORD
16 MANUFACTURER CHAMPIONSHIPS
1991-1996, 1998-2004, 2006, 2008, 2009
13 RIDER CHAMPIONSHIPS
1990 R. ROCHE (Ducati)
1991 D. POLEN (Ducati)
1992 D. POLEN (Ducati)
1994 C. FOGARTY (Ducati)
1995 C. FOGARTY (Ducati)
1996 T. CORSER (Ducati)
1998 C. FOGARTY (Ducati)
1999 C. FOGARTY (Ducati)
2001 T. BAYLISS (Ducati)
2003 N. HODGSON (Ducati)
2004 J. TOSELAND (Ducati)
2006 T. BAYLISS (Ducati)
2008 T. BAYLISS (Ducati)
