Moto GP
Michele Pirro Clinches Seventh Italian Superbike Title Amidst Dominant Season for Ducati
Michele Pirro clinches his seventh Italian Superbike championship
Ducati MotoGP test rider Michele Pirro has once again won the CIV Italian Superbike title.
Michele Pirro, who serves as the primary test rider for Ducati Corse’s MotoGP and WorldSBK teams, has secured his seventh victory in the CIV Italian Superbike Championship.
Pirro, a member of the Barni Ducati team which also includes Danilo Petrucci in the WorldSBK series and Yari Montella in WorldSSP, secured the championship last weekend at Mugello.
Pirro's latest championship win in the CIV Superbike category marks his seventh title in this class, with his previous victories occurring in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021. This achievement also brings his total number of titles in the CIV series to ten, including his Superstock 1000 championships in 2007 and 2008, and a Supersport title in 2009.
This count places Pirro third in the historical rankings for CIV championships, trailing Tarquinio Provini with 11 championships and Giacomo Agostini with 16. Agostini secured 10 consecutive 500cc titles from 1968 to 1977.
The title follows a contentious conclusion to the 2023 CIV Superbike season at Imola last year. Lorenzo Zanetti, who was competing against Pirro for the title, collided with Pirro in the Variante Bassa, causing the now seven-time Superbike Champion to fall and ultimately giving the championship to Zanetti.
Zanetti opted not to defend his CIV title this year and chose to compete in the IDM German Superbike Championship instead. He started his IDM season strong with a victory in the opening race at the Sachsenring. However, his subsequent podium finish occurred only once more, in the second race at the latest round at the Nurburgring. Meanwhile, most of the victories have been secured by Ilya Mikhalchik, who has claimed his fourth IDM Superbike championship title this year.
Without Zanetti in the lineup, Pirro has had an outstanding season. Across five rounds, he has secured victory in seven out of ten races. Alessandro Delbianco claimed a win when Pirro failed to finish the first race at the initial Mugello event, and also when Pirro placed fourth in the second race at the second Misano event. Most recently, Luca Bernardi won the second race at Mugello last weekend while Pirro secured the championship title.
The concluding race of the 2024 CIV Superbike season is scheduled to occur at Imola from September 27 to 29.
Photo courtesy of Ducati Corse/X.
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