Kawasaki has recently announced that Garrett Gerloff will be joining the Puccetti team for the 2025 WorldSBK season, making him the lead rider for the team. This news comes after Gerloff’s previous team, Bonovo Action BMW, revealed that they would be leaving BMW at the end of the 2024 season, leaving Gerloff in need of a new ride.
Puccetti, a longstanding satellite team for Kawasaki in WorldSBK, has faced some challenges in the past two seasons. Their current rider, Tito Rabat, is currently in 21st place in the riders’ standings, with his best results being two 14th place finishes in Race 2 at Misano and Most. Despite these difficulties, Puccetti has maintained a strong relationship with Kawasaki since 2004.
In addition to signing Gerloff, Kawasaki has also agreed to make Puccetti their “official team to maintain a Ninja presence” in the 2025 season. This partnership comes as the Kawasaki Racing Team transitions to new machinery, with Bimota, majority-owned by Kawasaki, re-entering the championship.
Manuel Puccetti, the owner of Puccetti Racing, expressed his excitement about the new partnership with Kawasaki. He shared his journey in the racing world, starting from racing a 125cc production machine in an Italian cup race in the late 1990s to becoming a team owner in 2002. Puccetti highlighted that in the upcoming season, they will be using current season KRT Ninja ZX-10RR machinery, fulfilling a dream for the team.
Overall, the collaboration between Kawasaki and Puccetti for the 2025 WorldSBK season marks an exciting new chapter for both parties. With Gerloff as the lead rider and Puccetti as the official team for Kawasaki, fans can expect to see some thrilling races and performances in the upcoming season.