Ducati Sporting Club UK > News Items > Ducati Press Releases > Anticipation Arises Ahead of the Pirelli Emilia Romagna Round: Bautista Arrives as Championship Leader. Home Round for Bulega and Pirro (Wild Card)

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World Superbike | Thursday 13 June 2024

Anticipation Arises Ahead of the Pirelli Emilia Romagna Round: Bautista Arrives as Championship Leader. Home Round for Bulega and Pirro (Wild Card). Huertas Ready to Defend Lead in WorldSSP Standings

The Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli is ready to host the Pirelli Emilia Romagna Round, the fourth event of the 2024 WorldSBK season.

It is a highly anticipated weekend for the Aruba.it Racing - Ducati team, the riders and the many Ducatisti fans who will populate the circuit.

After the first three events of the season, reigning World Champion Alvaro Bautista leads the championship standings with a 6-point advantage over Razgatlioglu (BMW) and 14 points over teammate Nicolò Bulega. It will be a particularly exciting weekend for the rider born in 1999 in Montecchio dell'Emilia, who won the Supersport World Championship last season and has had a thrilling start to his rookie season on the Ducati Panigale V4R.

Additionally, a significant novelty is Michele Pirro’s participation in the Pirelli Emilia Romagna Round riding the official Ducati Panigale V4R. After defending Aruba.it Racing's colours in MotoGP over the past two years as a Wild Card on five rounds, the rider from San Giovanni Rotondo will now race with the livery of the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team’s machines.

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #1)
"It has been a very long time since the last race, and because of this, there is a great desire to get back on track, especially at Misano, the Home GP for Ducati, with many fans coming to see us. I really like the circuit; it is very enjoyable to ride, and in the past, we have achieved great results. We gathered important data during the recent test, and for this reason, I am confident that we can find a good setup from tomorrow that allows me to enjoy and ride the bike the way I like. My and the team's goal is to focus on ourselves to achieve the best performance, and then we will take stock of the situation."

Nicolò Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #11)
"It is very nice to be at Misano. As the weekend approaches, the excitement grows. I am very motivated and happy to race with these colours: we are an Italian team on an Italian bike, and I am an Italian rider. It is the home race, and the atmosphere will be fantastic. Many friends will come to see me, and many fans will cheer for us. I will do my best to have great races."

Michele Pirro (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #51)
"I am happy to return to the Superbike World Championship after several years. It is a new challenge with many different factors compared to MotoGP, and I am pleased to represent Aruba.it Racing – Ducati since we could not race at Mugello with the Desmosedici GP this year. For this reason, I am eager to get on track with the Panigale V4R alongside Alvaro Bautista and Nicolò Bulega to defend the same colours. I thank Ducati and Stefano Cecconi for this opportunity and can say that, although I am no longer very young, the excitement and determination to face a challenge of this level are still very high."

WorldSSP

After securing first and second place in the Assen weekend, Adrian Huertas arrives at Misano leading the Supersport World Championship standings with a one-point advantage over Montella (Ducati) and Manzi (Yamaha).

Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WSSP #99)
"There are great expectations and motivations for this weekend. I know what this round means for the team and for Ducati. I feel I am in excellent form. We did a great job during the test, and I hope to do well in front of many fans."