Bradley Ray gets WorldSBK teammate at Cremona

Alessandro Delbianco will return to the WorldSBK grid this weekend in Cremona, as he joins the Motoxracing team.

Motoxracing will therefore double its WorldSBK effort for the Italian team’s home round at Cremona Circuit, the championship’s first competitive visit to the venue.

Delbianco last raced full-time in WorldSBK in 2019, but was on the grid last time out in 2024 at Magny-Cours, where he replaced the injured Dominique Aegerter.

Aegerter, still injured, is replaced this weekend by Endurance World Championship regular Marvin Fritz at the GRT team. Delbianco, though, keeps his spot on the grid for another round with the Motoxracing team, with a wildcard appearance supported by Yamaha Italy.

“I’m really pleased to wildcard in WorldSBK with Sandro Carusi and his team,” Delbianco said.

“Doing so at an Italian round gives me added motivation. At Magny-Cours I stood in for an injured rider while this weekend I’ll compete as a wildcard, which means that the team has chosen to trust in me, which makes me very proud.

“I would like to sincerely thank Yamaha Italia and in particular Andrea Colombi (Country Manager Yamaha Motor Europe Italian Branch), as well as Motoxracing and all our sponsors, for this great opportunity that has been offered to me.”

For Bradley Ray, Delbianco’s addition on the other side of the Motoxracing garage means he will have a teammate for the first time in his WorldSBK career.

The British rider didn’t test at Cremona earlier in the year, and so learning the track quickly will be key to his weekend.

“I can’t wait to race at Cremona this weekend, at a round that is also a home event for my team,” Ray said. “It won’t be easy as I’ve never ridden at this track before. I usually learn new tracks quickly and so I’ll do my best right from Friday so that we can be fast right away.”