WorldSBK is en route to return to Imola for the next Round, and injured VFT rider Fabio Menghi will be back in the paddock after fracturing his pelvis in Phillip Island during the preseason test. The physical condition of the Italian rider is improving, as he explained to WorldSBK.com.

“They said it would be three months until I could walk again, but I managed to walk after a month and a half,” said Menghi. “The recovery is going well and it’s much easier than I thought: the difficult bit is the muscular recovery. I have an important check up on the 10^th of May and after that we’ll know more when I can get back on track. It definitely won’t be before Misano though. Right now I’m concentrating on recovering, physiotherapy, hydrotherapy and gym work.”

The Italian’s replacement at VFT Racing is compatriot Matteo Baiocco, about whom Menghi is positive as his temporary replacement.

“It’s not easy, coming into WorldSBK from one day to the next,” added Menghi. “Now he just needs to get to know the team and bike better to get some good results. He’s a good rider and a good guy; we couldn’t have made a better choice.”

After a successful 2015, Baiocco has managed a 13th place as his best until now.

“I’m very happy to be back in WorldSBK,” explained Baiocco. “But I do want to achieve more. Together with the team, I’m trying to optimize what we have available. The ‘feeling’ isn’t bad, but we’re never at 100%. We have to be able to get the most out of the bike, because it’s not as up-to-date as some others on the grid. It’s competitive, but sometimes for various reasons we can’t quite extract the maximum. I hope we manage that in the next Round, at home. I hope my knowledge of the track helps us to get on a more even level with some of our rivals. It would be great to get into the top ten on Friday, and then keep working and getting even better.”

That Friday aim will get underway on the 29th of April at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola, Emilia-Romagna, Italy: the home of Ducati.