WorldSBK: Aruba.it Ducati have unveiled their 2023 bike

Aruba.it Racing Ducati have launched their 2023 factory WorldSBK bike at their launch event in the Italian Alps.

Reigning WorldSBK champion, Alvaro Bautista will return to the factory Ducati WorldSBK team in 2023. His teammate this season will be Michael Ruben Rinaldi, making the line-up unchanged.

The team will continue with their sponsor, Aruba.it creating a very similar livery to previous seasons. Aruba.it has had a great history with the Italian manufacturer, wildcarding in multiple MotoGP races last year, with their test rider Michelle Pirro.

Bautista will use the number one plate for his 2023 season, commemorating his championship-winning season. The number one plate has been seen multiple times in recent seasons, with both Toprak Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea using it.

Rinaldi will return to the team after a successful 2022 season, coming fourth in the World championship standings. He would score four podiums throughout the year, in a very consistent season for the Italian.

Alvaro Bautista would have an incredible year, winning 16 races throughout the season with 31 podiums in the year. He would stand on the podium in 86% of the races in 2022, winning him the title he hoped for in 2019.

Reigning champion, Alvaro Bautista said: “We have a new challenge ahead of us. After a fantastic season in which we won with Ducati in both Superbike and MotoGP, 2023 will inevitably be a difficult year. Racing with the number 1, in fact, means that our objective can only be one: to win.

“We’ll have a lot of pressure but at the same time we’ll have to keep calm, try to work with high concentration but also with serenity. We’ll have a new bike and even if it won’t be extremely different from the 2022 one, the work that we’ll be able to do before the first race is crucial: we have to fix all the details that will allow us to get the best performance.

“I’d also like to address a thought to all the Ducatistas: I’m very proud of all our fans who followed us last season, and I hope that with the result we’ve achieved, in 2023 there will be even more of them supporting us at circuits all over the world.

“I am a Ducatista and I feel lucky to be able to defend the colours of the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team”.

Michael Ruben Rinaldi added: “I start this new adventure with great enthusiasm. Together with my team we have always made progress in the last two years, managing to improve our results. As a team we won the three titles last season and this means that the package is very strong.

“During the winter, we have analyzed the points we have to focus on, in order to improve and to be competitive for the title race. I have worked a lot over the last few weeks and I will continue to do so with great dedication as I want to  always be able to express my maximum potential.

“There will be a lot of new things, also on the bike, so I can’t wait to get started. I want to thank Aruba and Ducati for the opportunity to ride this beautiful Panigale V4 R and be part of such an ambitious team”. 

Image: Ducati Media