Michele Pirro Clinches Historic Seventh Italian Superbike Title with Ducati at Mugello

Michele Pirro clinches his seventh Italian Superbike Championship

Ducati MotoGP test rider Michele Pirro has claimed another CIV Italian Superbike crown.

Michele Pirro, who serves as the primary test rider for Ducati Corse’s MotoGP and WorldSBK teams, has secured his seventh championship in the CIV Italian Superbike series.

Michele Pirro, competing for the Barni Ducati team which also includes Danilo Petrucci in World Superbike (WorldSBK) and Yari Montella in World Supersport (WorldSSP), clinched the championship last weekend at the Mugello circuit.

Pirro secured his seventh championship in the CIV Superbike category, adding to his previous victories in 2015, 2016 through 2019, and 2021 to 2022. This recent achievement also marks his tenth title in the CIV series overall, which includes winning the Superstock 1000 championships in 2007 and 2008, and a Supersport championship in 2009.

This count places Pirro in third place on the all-time list for CIV championships, following Tarquinio Provini with 11 titles and Giacomo Agostini with 16, with Agostini securing 10 consecutive 500cc championships from 1968 to 1977.

The championship follows a contentious conclusion to the 2023 CIV Superbike season at Imola, where Lorenzo Zanetti, Pirro's competitor for the title, collided with Pirro in the Variante Bassa section, causing the now seven-time Superbike Champion to crash and ultimately granting the title to Zanetti.

Zanetti, who opted not to defend his CIV title this year, has been competing in the IDM German Superbike Championship. While he began his IDM season strongly with a victory in the opening race at the Sachsenring, his only other podium finish was in the second race of the latest round at the Nurburgring. During this period, most of the victories have been claimed by Ilya Mikhalchik, who secured his fourth IDM Superbike championship this year.

With Zanetti out, Pirro has enjoyed a standout season. Over five rounds, Pirro, sporting the #51, has secured victories in seven out of ten races. The other wins went to Alessandro Delbianco, who triumphed when Pirro did not complete Race 1 during the first round at Mugello and when Pirro finished fourth in Race 2 at the second Misano round. Luca Bernardi claimed victory in Race 2 at Mugello last weekend, where Pirro secured the championship title.

The concluding race of the 2024 CIV Superbike season is scheduled to occur in Imola from September 27 to 29.

Photo courtesy of Ducati Corse/X.

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