Lorenzo Baldassarri will remain with Team GoEleven for a second season in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship after inking a new deal with the Independent Ducati squad. ‘Balda’ joined the team this season as he made his return to World Superbike and has been a podium contender throughout the 2026 season, with his efforts across this campaign rewarded with a new contract.
A TRICKY FIRST YEAR IN WORLD SUPERBIKE
Baldassarri previously spent the 2023 season in WorldSBK, competing for GMT94 Yamaha on the R1 machine. However, it was a tricky year for the Italian rider as he finished 18th in the standings and his best race result was P12, taken on three occasions: the Tissot Superpole Race at Misano, and Race 1 and the Superpole Race at Jerez. At the end of 2023, ‘Balda’ re-joined WorldSSP for 2024, but he was unable to hit the high notes he had in 2022 when he finished runner-up in the standings.
REBUILDING HIS CAREER
After that challenging second World Supersport stint, the #34 moved back to the MotoGP paddock and competed in MotoE. In the World Cup’s final season, he finished sixth in the standings, but was a consistent front runner. He claimed three podiums and missed out on victory by just 0.037s in Race 1 in Barcelona and 0.106s in Race 1 at Balaton Park.
BACK WITH A BANG
Perhaps a left-field choice for 2026, 29-year-old Baldassarri was selected by Team GoEleven to replace Andrea Iannone after his two seasons with the team heralded one win. He made an immediate impact on his return as he claimed his first World Superbike rostrum in Race 1 at Phillip Island. Baldassarri has been a consistent figure inside the top ten this season and has two podiums to his name, with the second coming at Balaton Park. He’ll be aiming to add more rostrums across the season finale at Jerez and in 2027 after securing his future.
“THE TEAM BELIEVED IN ME, AND WE ACHIEVED GREAT THINGS THIS YEAR”
Speaking about his renewal, Baldassarri said: “I am really happy to renew with Team GoEleven; we had to wait a little while to finalise the last details, but I’ve been looking forward to this day for a long time. We are keeping continuity with the project, and I’m pleased about that; this year has been a fantastic season, during which I’ve consistently been fast and steady. I had come from a difficult period where I lacked both confidence and results—having changed teams, bikes, and categories—but GoEleven believed in me, and we achieved great things this year. Big challenges ahead; we now have a solid baseline for every track, so we’ll arrive ready at every weekend. I can’t wait to start another year together!”
“WE COULDN'T LET HIM SLIP AWAY AFTER JUST ONE YEAR OR FAIL TO RENEW HIS CONTRACT FOR THE UPCOMING SEASON”
Team Owner Gianna Ramello said: “Lorenzo has proven to be fast and competitive during the 2026 season, bringing us great satisfaction. He was a gamble I took at the start of the year—I believed in him from the very beginning, and he repaid that faith with one of our best-ever WorldSBK seasons. We couldn't let him slip away after just one year or fail to renew his contract for the upcoming season. With another year in our team, I am certain he will improve even further; the team environment is wonderful—calm and truly united—thanks to Lorenzo’s excellent personality. I wish both him and us, the team, the very best for 2027; we face major challenges ahead, and we want to be ready for them. I also want to thank everyone who believed in this venture—all our partners and sponsors who make it possible for us to keep living our dream!”
“‘BALDA’ HAS IMPRESSED FROM THE VERY FIRST RACE THIS YEAR—AND I THINK HE’S IMPRESSED A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH WHAT HE’S SHOWN ON TRACK”
Team Manager Denis Sacchetti added: “The feeling we’ve built with ‘Balda’ this year is fantastic; the harmony within the garage and our mutual trust in the work we do are the key ingredients that led us to firmly believe in continuing this partnership—anything else wouldn’t have made sense. ‘Balda’ has impressed us right from the very first race this year—and I think he’s impressed a lot of people with what he’s shown on track—and we believe that with a year of experience, we could have a really exciting 2027. We’re thrilled and motivated!”
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