SBK | Rinaldi: “Pay to race? I’d rather stay home!”

The Superbike paddock is waiting for the official renewal of Alvaro Bautista, on which the last market movements for 2025 depend. Yes, the last, because the available places are starting to be fewer and fewer and deciding becomes complicated. Michael Rube Rinaldi knows something about it, who saw the idea of ​​going to the Puccetti team next year vanish.

This year, riding for the Motocorsa team, the rider from Romagna has not achieved the results he had hoped for and is currently only 17th in the championship with 38 points. A disappointment for a rider who until last year rode for the Ducati factory team and was used to very different performances. But what is the alternative to Lorenzo Mauri’s team for 2025?

Of course he will have to look for a new seat next year, Rinaldi knocked on the doors of the Puccetti team, but he didn’t find the solution. The Kawasaki satellite team has in fact chosen Garrett Gerloff for 2025, forcing the rider from Sant’Arcangelo di Romagna to look elsewhere, unless he probably has a second bike. “I have an excellent relationship with Manuel Puccetti. We spoke on equal terms and I’m not disappointed at all”, Rinaldi told Speed ​​Week. “Why should I be angry or complain that Kawasaki and Manuel decided in favor of Garrett? He is American and the United States is a very important market, so that must have played a role. However, I assume that next year I will ride in the Superbike World Championship. It is not yet clear for which team.”

If Puccetti doesn’t have a second bike, Rinaldi could go to Yamaha, where the opportunity would open up in the MotoXRacing team. Could staying in Motocorsa be an option? Rinaldi is sure of one thing: he won’t pay to race, he’d rather stay put. But the Romagnola is convinced that he’ll be on the Superbike grid in 2025 too.

“The contract with Motocorsa only foresees that we talk about a second year, and that’s all I want to say about it. During my time in the official Ducati team I have always given the best of myself. There are not many riders available who have won in the Superbike World Championship, I am one of them. If you don’t have a contract, you have to get results and I will try to do that. I am not in a situation where I can pay for a seat. Before having to bring money with me, I would prefer to stay at home for a year. However, I don’t think there is this risk,” Rinaldi explained.