Against expectation,
Lorenzo Lanzi has kept his factory Ducati seat alongside
Troy Bayliss for the 2007 World Superbike championship.
Lanzi secured the Xerox seat by winning two races in 2005, but managed just two third places this season and was left eighth in the points - while Bayliss stormed to 12 wins and his second world championship.
As a result, the 24-year-old Italian faced a tough task to keep his ride - particularly in the face of stiff competition from the likes of former British and World Superbike champion Neil Hodgson and 2005 BSB champion Gregorio Lavilla. However, Ducati has now confirmed that Lanzi will stay.
"I am really happy to have been confirmed in the Ducati Xerox Team," said Lorenzo. "I have to say that I really hoped it would happen because this year I have given 100%, even though things didn't go the way I expected. I have been with Ducati for three years, I know the team and all the guys and I aim to give my everything to get good results next season."
"We are pleased to renew our confidence in Lorenzo Lanzi by signing him up again in the Ducati Xerox Team," commented Paolo Ciabatti, Ducati Corse Superbike programme director. "This year has proved to be difficult for Lorenzo due to a variety of circumstances, but we are confident that in 2007 he will again be able to show the form he produced at the end of 2005 when he won two races on our factory 999 machine. We truly expect him to be a major challenger in next season's championship in his second year in the factory Ducati Xerox Team."
Bayliss and Lanzi will get their 2007 campaign underway with the first Pirelli test session at Valencia on November 14-15.
