Tito Rabat will ride a ‘99% factory’ Ducati Panigale V4 R for the 2021 WorldSBK season after becoming the latest to make the switch from MotoGP.
Tito Rabat says he will be rewarded with the ‘top material’ from Ducati if he proves competitive during his maiden WorldSBK Championship season in 2021.
The 2014 Moto2 World Champion becomes the latest rider to make the switch from MotoGP to WorldSBK after being edged out of his Avintia Ducati ride following a disappointing season that yielded a best finish of only 11th position.
With both factory Ducati seats taken, Rabat has instead landed at the satellite Barni Racing – getting the nod over Loris Baz – and while he is yet to ride the Panigale V4 R after the recent two-day test at Jerez was washed out, he says he is settling into the team well.
“I am happy and motivated and looking forward to what will happen,” he told the official WorldSBK website. “In the beginning it was quite hard to realise what is happening but now everything has happened, I think it is a good opportunity to stay at the front and do big things. I feel comfortable with the team and I see it is a team that has a passion to race
“If I show I can win races and be at the front, then I will have everything, the material to stay out front. This makes me motivated because I will put in everything. For the moment I want to go step by step. I am looking to make steps to arrive well at the first race. To achieve my goal is to keep this line, stay competitive and get good results. I am still a rider.
Though Barni aren’t race winners in WorldSBK, it has shown itself to be capable of podiums and has been a regular top ten finishers with the likes of Xavi Fores and Michael Ruben Rinaldi.
