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As the 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship edges ever closer to firing into life, new expectations and new possibilities await. At the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team, there ambitions remain the same as they go to take the crown for the first time in a decade, whilst their desire to do it remains just as strong as before. A change in the rider line-up sees 2020 runner-up Scott Redding stay, whilst his new teammate will be 2021 Best Independent Rider Michael Ruben Rinaldi, with both impressing in testing.

THE BASICS

Whilst the line-up has changed, the bike and the team remain relatively constant, with new parts in testing, but no huge innovations like Kawasaki and BMW, as Ducati aim for continuity with their ever-improving Panigale V4 R, which enters its third year of action. Across the two seasons, the Ducati Panigale V4 R has achieved 25 wins with help of four riders, whilst finished runner-up in both 2019 and 2020 – the latter of which saw Ducati finish second and third in the title race, which in-turn went to the final round of the season. In terms of crew chiefs, there’s no change for Redding who continues to work with Giovanni Crupi, whilst Filippo Burgatti joins the team with Michael Ruben Rinaldi, with them both working together in 2020.

THE TECH

In terms of Ducati’s technical changes, a new swingarm was trialled at the Catalunya Test at the very start of April and you can enjoy a full gallery of Ducati’s tech changes from that test, here. whilst they’ve also been working on new parts inside the bike, with regards to electronics, whilst other developments include work on the suspension and the link of the bike, particularly on Rinaldi. We’ve also seen additions to the rider seat and fuel tank, to help with rider position on the bike and to reduce drag in a straight line, especially for Redding.

We caught up with Marco Zambenedetti, technical coordinator for Ducati Corse in WorldSBK, to find out technically, how Ducati have evolved for 2021: “Especially during the winter test, we have tested many new parts in all the areas. There are no particular areas where we are in difficulty, as we improved a little bit on the engine and torque delivery. We are improving on the chassis side, especially on the rear suspension and the swingarm. The new swingarm has been tested and we have also worked a lot in the braking area with the new Brembo front brake calipers and in the higher temperatures, I think we can gain something more. We have many improvements with the electronics and also in general with the aerodynamics and rider ergonomics.”

THE RIDERS: REDDING

Redding’s 2020 season was far from poor, with the WorldSBK rookie taking five wins, whilst standing on the podium some nine times from his first 11 races. He was in the fight until the final round of the season at Estoril and this year, wants to prove that he can go one step better in the year ahead, despite a new opponent on the other side of the garage.

Speaking during the Aragon test in April, Redding has one aim for the season ahead and that is to return the title to Bologna: “The priority to me is to do my best to win the Championship this year. By all means, it’s not going to be easy, I know that, and I don’t want to get ahead of myself. I believe that with the experience I gained last year, we should be in a situation where we can fight until the end. I feel confident, I feel relaxed, I feel pretty good with the same team, the same guys around me, more or less the same bike, same tyres, so that’s the best way to start my second season here in WorldSBK.”

THE RIDERS: RINALDI

Michael Ruben Rinaldi was a revelation in 2020, surprising everyone by taking a stunning career-first win in Race 1 of the Teruel Round, leading every lap to beat Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK). Two more podiums would follow for Rinaldi and now aged just 25, one the hottest prospects in World Superbike gets every Italian rider’s dream by joining the factory Ducati outfit. Having been fast and impressive in testing, the charismatic Italian could be a dark horse for the title in 2021.

Speaking after the Aragon test in mid-April, Rinaldi isn’t hiding from the fact that taking the title will be difficult: “I want to stay positive, but I want to be realistic. It is so difficult to achieve the goal that everybody wants which is the title, but we will try, you never know. In my mind, I have that goal and maybe we can’t achieve it this year, but never say never in this sport.

“I’m proud to be part of the factory Ducati team, because sincerely, as an Italian rider, it’s amazing,” he continued, as he rejoins the team that he rode for on his way to the FIM European Superstock 1000 Cup crown in 2017. “I feel grateful, and I don’t have pressure, only the support from the ‘Ducatisti’, which is amazing. During this winter, I’ve never been so supported by the fans, and I am really happy about that and they give me the extra power.”

THE INDEPENDENTS

Besides Redding and Rinaldi, there’s a raft of fast Independent riders too, perhaps one of the strongest line-ups of Independent riders on the 2021 grid. Scoring the most points out of anyone in the final three rounds of 2020, Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) has good form and is in great shape after preseason testing, whilst rookie ex-Moto2™ World Champion Tito Rabat (Barni Racing Team) and 2016 Europe Supersport Cup winner Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) complete Ducati’s attack.

Follow Ducati’s journey through 2021 and find out if they clinch the title with the WorldSBK VideoPass!