Ex-Moto2 rider Debise joins Pedercini Kawasaki for WorldSBK Catalunya

Former Moto2 rider Valentin Debise will make his WorldSBK Championship debut at this weekend’s WorldSBK Catalunya round as the latest replacement for the injured Sandro Cortese at Pedercini Kawasaki.

The 28-year old is a regular in the French Superbike Championship - where he is currently leading the standings - and has previously raced in both the Moto2 and WorldSSP Championship. He will start at least this weekend’s inaugural visit to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, plus Debise’s home Magny-Cours round.

He has been called up to replace Cortese, taking over from Roman Ramos, who piloted the Kawasaki ZX-10RR to the points during the two Motorland Aragon rounds.

Cortese is currently recovering from a series of injuries sustained in an accident on the final lap of Race 1 at Portimao, an incident that left him with a fractured vertebrae and knee.

In addition, Pedercini Kawasaki has also confirmed it will enter the WorldSSP 300 series in a partnership with former rider David Salom. The team had planned to do this alongside a two-rider strong effort in WorldSBK and WorldSSP for 2020 before a main sponsor pulled out before the start of the year.

“We look forward to the SSP300 to start the path planned for 2021,” said team owner Lucio Pedercini “With a young promise and with an Italian who must demonstrate his talent. We decided to anticipate the entry times of the SSP300 to understand how to organise the team and see during this period how to work for the future.

“It is an initiative that I like and it is part of our way of conceiving races, because it is historically known that our Team is a discoverer of talents who then became famous riders thanks to the opportunities we offered them.”