Michele Pirro Clinches Seventh Italian Superbike Title Amidst Rivals’ Shifts and Triumphs

Michele Pirro wins his seventh Italian Superbike championship

Ducati MotoGP test rider Michele Pirro has clinched another CIV Italian Superbike championship.

Michele Pirro, who serves as the primary test rider for Ducati Corse's MotoGP and WorldSBK teams, has clinched his seventh title in the CIV Italian Superbike Championship.

Pirro, who competes for the Barni Ducati team that features Danilo Petrucci in World Superbike and Yari Montella in World Supersport, secured the championship last weekend at Mugello.

Pirro clinched his seventh championship in the CIV Superbike category, adding to his victories in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022. This achievement also marks his tenth overall title in the CIV series, which includes previous wins in the Superstock 1000 class in 2007 and 2008, as well as a Supersport title in 2009.

This record places Pirro in third place on the all-time list of CIV championships, trailing behind Tarquinio Provini with 11 titles and Giacomo Agostini, who holds the top spot with 16 titles, including 10 consecutive 500cc championships from 1968 to 1977.

The title follows a contentious conclusion to the 2023 CIV Superbike season at Imola, where Lorenzo Zanetti, competing against Michele Pirro for the championship, collided with Pirro at the Variante Bassa. This incident caused Pirro to fall, ultimately awarding Zanetti the championship and marking Pirro's seventh Superbike title.

In a surprising move, Zanetti chose not to defend his CIV championship title this year. Instead, he has been competing in the IDM German Superbike Championship. Zanetti started his IDM season on a high note by winning the first race at the Sachsenring, but his only other podium finish since then was in the second race of the latest round at the Nurburgring. Meanwhile, the majority of victories have been claimed by Ilya Mikhalchik, who has secured his fourth IDM Superbike title this year.

The period without Zanetti has paralleled an outstanding season for Pirro. In the five rounds so far, Pirro, bearing the number 51, has secured victory in seven out of ten races. Alessandro Delbianco claimed a win when Pirro failed to finish the first race in the initial Mugello round and when Pirro came in fourth in the second race at the second Misano round. Most recently, Luca Bernardi won the second race at Mugello last weekend, a race where Pirro also secured the championship title.

The concluding round of the 2024 CIV Superbike Championship is scheduled to happen at Imola from September 27 to 29.

Photo courtesy of Ducati Corse/X.

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