Kawasaki confirms ahead of the WSBK weekend in Portimao that Puccetti will be the “official team” in the 2025 World Superbike Championship and will line up with Garrett Gerloff
Kawasaki will remain in the Superbike World Championship and will be represented by Manuel Puccetti’s team in the 2025 season. For a long time, it was unclear whether the Japanese brand would disappear from the production-based championship, as Kawasaki announced in April that the current factory team would compete as the “Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team” next year
According to the Japanese manufacturer, keeping the Kawasaki brand in the Superbike World Championship is part of the “global Ninja marketing and awareness strategy”. At the recent WSBK event in Most, there were already indications that the Puccetti team will continue its collaboration with Kawasaki and become the reference team (see story).
“The Italian team will be the official team to run a Ninja on the grid of a globally recognized racing series with a huge fan base and spectator reach,” Kawasaki announced ahead of the Portimao weekend. “It is important for Kawasaki to be present in WSBK with our Ninja brand,” clarifies Marketing Manager Shigemi Tanaka.
Can Puccetti take a step towards the midfield with Garrett Gerloff?
The Puccetti team has already celebrated several successes in the Superbike World Championship. The clear highlight is the two race wins with Toprak Razgatlioglu in the 2019 WSBK season. Puccetti has also achieved 16 podium finishes in the Superbike World Championship. However, the team has recently experienced difficult times. Former Moto2 World Champion Tito Rabat is currently only 21st in the World Championship with a meagre six points from 18 races
Manuel Puccetti planned to compete with a two-rider team in the 2025 WSBK season. However, the latest announcement only mentions one rider. Garrett Gerloff, who had to look for a new team after two years with Bonovo-BMW, has signed with Puccetti for the 2025 season
Good prerequisites: Factory material and close ties to Kawasaki
Since Kawasaki is no longer developing the ZX-10RR, Puccetti will receive the factory material from the current season next year. “On behalf of my team, my sponsors and my family, I would like to express what an honor and privilege this is,” said a delighted Puccetti.
Kawasaki manager Shigemi Tanaka is convinced that in Puccetti they have found the right partner to keep the Kawasaki brand in the Superbike World Championship: “Manuel has a unique combination of experience, performance and enthusiasm. His track record is a testament to his tenacity and professionalism.”
“The Kawasaki Puccetti Racing Team is already working closely with KRT in the current WSBK championship, so the communication channels on WSBK issues are firmly established and productive,” explains the Japanese rider.
“With our support for Kawasaki Puccetti and the loan of our factory Ninja ZX-10RR, we can publicly show our appreciation for Kawasaki Puccetti Racing and are confident that the Ninja brand will continue to play an important role in the WSBK paddock,” said the Kawasaki manager.
