Bassani reveals talks to replace Rea at Kawasaki have begun
The Motocorsa Ducati rider’s future has been the subject of many rumours since the beginning of the 2023 WorldSBK season.
Initially it looked as though Bassani was in the running to replace Michael Rinaldi at Aruba.it Ducati, before it became clear that Nicolo Bulega was the favourite.
- Alex Lowes out of Aragon WorldSBK round after knee operation
- Rinaldi: “I wanted to show off my speed and that’s why I made mistakes”
Then, staying with Motocorsa for a third season seemed to be his most likely outcome before the bombshell news that Jonathan Rea would leave Kawasaki for Yamaha.
Since that announcement, Bassani has been heavily linked with a switch to the Japanese manufacturer, as the Italian is desperate to secure a factory seat.
"I can’t say a lot," said Bassani ahead of the Aragon WorldSBK round. "We are speaking with some teams, and we are trying to find a good solution for next year.
"For the moment, I can’t speak. This is the reality. I hope, this week or next week, I can say something."
Bassani’s options when it comes to securing a factory seat are now down to two manufacturers after BMW confirmed their 2024 rider line-up on Wednesday.
The other brand that is yet to confirm their plans is Honda, however, it looks more likely that Rinaldi will head to Team HRC, with Bassani going to Kawasaki.
Asked if the the teams he’s speaking with included KRT, Bassani added: "Yeah, we are speaking. For sure, we want a factory team, and we want to find a good solution for me and for them. We will see what happens in the next days."
