Axel Bassani will leave the Motocorsa Racing squad at the end of the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship campaign. The Italian spent three seasons with the Ducati-powered team and has impressed during his time there but will depart at the end of the season. Bassani has shown his talent during his time at the team with six podiums so far, including two on home soil at Misano and Imola this year, but will leave for pastures new at the end of the year.

Bassani made his WorldSBK debut with the Motocorsa Racing team back in 2021 and secured a top-ten Championship finish in his maiden season. After a couple of rounds adjusting to the Panigale V4 R, the #47 became a consistent top-ten contender throughout his first season and that culminated in second place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for his maiden WorldSBK podium. It was a race he led as he went in search of a first win, but he was ultimately denied by Scott Redding as Ducati finished 1-2-3.

He built on a strong rookie campaign with seventh in the standings and three more podiums although a first win still alluded him. He was third twice at Magny-Cours in 2022 and backed that up with third at the Circuito San Juan Villicum. That gave him a platform for 2023 and, like in other seasons, the Feltre-born rider has not been afraid to mix it up with the ‘Titanic Trio’ when he has the chance. This was on display most notably at Imola as he battled Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) for the win, losing out in the final stages but taking second on home soil. His other podium this season came at Misano and Bassani is currently fifth in the standings.

Prior to his time in WorldSBK, Bassani competed in 24 WorldSSP races, on Kawasaki machinery in 2016 and 2017 where he scored a best result of fourth at Magny-Cours, and Yamaha in 2020 when eighth was his only top-ten finish of the season. The Italian also competed in two STK600 races in 2015, taking a podium at Magny-Cours with second.

The team released a heartfelt statement when announcing Bassani’s departure, saying he remains part of the family at Motocorsa Racing. The full statement said: “The entire Motocorsa Racing staff and all the sponsors want to thank our standard bearer for the wonderful years spent together and the results achieved. Our goal for the 2023 season remains to repeat the success achieved in 2022 with the achievement of the Best Independent title. The entire Motocorsa family thanks Axel for the dedication and professionalism in the work carried out in these three years of mutual satisfaction It is with all our hearts that we wish him a future full of success. He will still remain part of our family and a piece of our heart goes with him.”

After three seasons, six podiums so far and impressing the paddock with his speed, tenacity, and grit, Bassani will leave Motocorsa Racing when 2023 concludes. Discussing how hard it was for him to leave the team, Bassani said: “It was a very painful decision for me to leave Motocorsa which was like a family to me, but it was right to try this experience. I would like to thank everyone, absolutely everyone on the Motocorsa staff who collaborated with me in this professional experience. A special thank you that I truly give from the heart goes to Lorenzo Mauri who believed in me from the first second and thanks to his intuition we managed to bring the team to the position it currently finds itself in. The entire Motocorsa Racing family will always remain part of my heart."

Watch every moment from Portimao using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now only €9.99!