WorldSBK: Michael Rinaldi back testing with Ducati track bike at Jerez
Michael Rinaldi has completed hisꦺ first laps since the 2021 WorldSBK season finale in Mandalika as preparations for 🍸the 2022 season continue.
Following a big last♒ lap crash during race two of the Indonesian round, Rinaldi was unable to join new team-mate Alvaro Bautista for an official private test in Jerez last month.
The 2022 season will be Rinaldi’s second with the Aruba.it Ducati team, which༺ also m🎃arks the first time since he joined the world championship in 2018 that he’s stayed with the same team for consecutive campaigns.
While it was a strong first season - claimed career bests in terms of wins (3) and podiums (4), the Italian rider finished a disappointing 219 points behind former team-mate and new BMW rider Scott Re♍dding.
It’s fair to say𓆉 Ducati ✨won’t want a gap of that magnitude between Rinaldi and Bautista, especially as the 26 year-old is someone they view as a title contender.
Rinaldi’s tes✤t in Jerez took place♏ aboard a Panigale V4 S track bike which was painted in WorldSBK replica colours.
Rinaldi posted on his social media saying: “Back on tarmac wဣ🌠ith my Ducati Panigale V4 S.”
Rinaldi was noඣt alone in beginning his 2022 WorldSBK preparations with a track-day in Jerez, as fellow Ducati rider Phillipp Oettl also tested a Panigale V4 S at the beginning of the week.
Oettl was provided Redding’s previous Ducati 💫training bike by the Italian manufacturer, while the German is scheduled to be back on-track again this weekend. The former WorldSSP rider is training with Speer Racing which is a bike promotion company.
