Earlier this month Michel Fabrizio was linked to ride for Red Devils Roma team after the team picked up General Invest as their new sponsor and the Italian has now been officially confirmed in Andrea Petricca’s outfit in 2013, and he should be racing the new Ducati 1199 Panigale Superbike (but it could also be an Aprilia) when the current 1098R will be put out to pasture.
For Fabrizio it will be return to Ducati machinery after spending three seasons (2008 to 2010) with Ducati’s factory squad where he scored three victories in 2009 and one in 2010 before switching to the now defunct Suzuki Alstare Racing team and then to BMW Italia.
Red Devils Roma team has been currently fielding former MotoGP rider Niccolo Canepa, but the Italian has been forced to miss the final two rounds of the season after suffering a highside at Nurburgring at turn 4, that resulted in him fracturing his right leg when his Ducati fell on him – the Italian has already undergone three surgeries to fix the twenty fractures that he sustained on his lower leg and foot and it is currently unknown whether Canepa will continue riding for the team next season, but Petricca has ambitious plans to expand his squad to two bikes.
Petricca: It’s with great pleasure that we can announce the start of this association with Michel Fabrizio.
This was our first year in Superbikes and although we’ve had a lot of experience in the Italian and the World championship and it has been very challenging.
We’ve now gained experience and strength and have the confidence to compete at a high level.
The recent agreement with General Invest and the trust they have placed in us will push us even further to reach newer goals.
I’ve know Michel for many years and I consider him one of the best riders in the World Superbike Championship.
His ambition is equal to ours and we are confident that the work of our technical staff combined with his talent and experience will be key to achieving great results.
We do not know with which bike we’ll be fielding next season, but the decision will be made in the next few days.
“ Michel Fabrizio: “The long-standing friendship with Andrea and the professionalism of his team has convinced me to face this new challenge, I am sure that it will bring great satisfaction to everyone.
I want to finish a good season with my current team, but I am very excited to join a young team and I’m sure that we will grow together.
My experience, the determination of the team and the strength of General Invest will get take us very far.
”
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