2012 World Superbike
There will be a fourth team lining up in 2012 World Superbike aboard a Ducati – the Pata Racing Team.
And on Tuesday, the team that fielded Noriyuki Haga on an Aprilia RSV4 in 2011 will use former World Superstock rider Lorenzo Zanetti. The all Italian team of Zanetti, the snack company Pata and Ducati will be “flying the flag for Italian motorcycling in the world,” Pata reports.
Zanetti, 23, finished third overall during his first full year in Superstock 1000, the Italian competing on the BMW Motorrad Italia S1000RR.
Lorenzo Zanetti (Ducati 1198 RS) says: “I’m really pleased about this accord: both Pata Racing team and I have ambitious plans for next season. The Ducati is a competitive bike and I’ve already had a chance to race it, hopefully I can establish a good feeling from the first tests in Australia. I’d like to thank Remo and Marco Gobbi, the owners of Pata, and Andrea Prando, my team manager for putting their faith in me.”
Marco Gobbi (Pata owner) says: “Pata’s aim in 2012 is to invest in talented young Italian riders: I would say that having Zanetti in the team and an icon such as the Ducati 1198, is already a big success.
“Knowing that we can race with the current world championship winning bike gives us a major stimulus. For our part, we are still aiming to be successful in a championship in which we want to play a major role. Thanks to everyone who was involved in the negotiations and who made this agreement possible.”
Andrea Prando (Team Manager of Pata Racing) says: “Having such a determined young rider as Lorenzo in the team is a major asset; I feel sure that having a rider of his calibre and the reigning title-winning bike in our team will make it possible for us to go a long way in this championship.”
With Pata fielding a Ducati 1198, they now join Team Effenbert-Liberty Ducati (Sylvain Guintoli, Jakub Smrz and Maxime Berger), Ducati Roma, and Althea Ducati (Carlos Checa, Davide Giugliano).
The 2012 World Superbike Championship kicks off with a pre-season test Jan. 21-22 at Phillip Island, Australia, before the first of 14 rounds at the same circuit Feb. 26.
