Kawasaki confirms Puccetti for 2025 in WorldSBK
Ninja presence in WorldSBK paddock and on race grids maintained.
As an integral part of its ongoing global Ninja marketing and awareness strategy, Kawasaki has announced that Kawasaki Puccetti Racing will be responsible for continuing Kawasaki’s Ninja presence in WorldSBK next season with the race and Championship winning Ninja ZX-10RR package. Via this strategic action, Kawasaki will commit both the “bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team” and the “Ninja ZX-10RR” brands more than ever to the WorldSBK series, while continuing to entertain race fans worldwide.
Fielding the Ninja ZX-10RR machinery currently being raced by the Kawasaki Racing Team in WorldSBK represents a new milestone for Kawasaki Puccetti Racing in 2025. The Italian squad will be the official team to maintain a Ninja presence on the grid of a globally recognised racing series with a huge following and audience reach.
Celebrating twenty years of racing in association with the Kawasaki brand in 2024, the Reggio Emilia based team – who are currently competing in WorldSBK with rider Tito Rabat – are widely recognised as a driving force in WorldSSP and count significant European Stock 600 and Stock 1000 achievements, plus two WorldSSP titles, within their roll of honour. In addition the team has twenty three race wins in the WorldSSP class plus two race wins and sixteen podium places to date in WorldSBK.
Speaking of the upcoming season, an understandably delighted Manuel Puccetti reflected on the racing journey of his eponymous team: “On behalf of myself and my team – as well as my sponsors and my family – I would like to express what an honour and privilege this is. Since my first days in racing I personally appreciate the elements that make a rider or team successful.
“I started racing on a 125cc production machine in an Italian cup race in the late 1990s and by 2002 I had taken the challenging step to become a team owner. Just one truck, some motorcycles and a loyal group of sponsors to start with. Yet, from these beginnings, we worked and worked to become what we are now; a team with World, European and National Championships to our credit and a success record that includes over 120 podiums.
“In 2025, we will field current season KRT Ninja ZX-10RR machinery and I can only say this is a dream come true. Rest assured we will do our best to fulfil the ambitions of Ninja fans across the world in the coming season. We are truly honoured.”
Experienced American rider Garrett Gerloff will join the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing team on the Ninja ZX-10RR for 2025, bringing with him proven podium capability and a single-minded desire to achieve even greater results.
For Kawasaki, Shigemi Tanaka, General Manager, Marketing & Sales Division, Kawasaki Motors, Ltd. explained the reasoning for the latest WorldSBK strategy: “Manuel has a unique combination of experience, achievement and enthusiasm and his record of success is testament to his tenacity and professionalism. Already the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing team are working closely with KRT in the current WorldSBK Championship, so the channels of communication on WorldSBK issues are firmly established and productive.
“For Kawasaki, it’s important to maintain a presence in WorldSBK with our Ninja brand. With our support for Kawasaki Puccetti and via the transfer on loan of our factory Ninja ZX-10RR race assets – we can publicly show our appreciation of Kawasaki Puccetti Racing and be confident that the Ninja brand will continue to play a significant role in the WorldSBK paddock.”
