Former Superstock 1000 champion Ayrton Badovini has been announced as Carlos Checa's team-mate in the new Alstare Ducati team for the 2013 World Superbike Championship season.
The 26-year-old comes to the Italian manufacturer after two seasons spent with BMW Italia, a tenure that yielded just a single podium finish but an overall top ten finish in 2011 and 12th in 2012.
Announced as part of the confirmation that Ducati will entrust its factory support to the returning Alstare team in 2013, Badovini will join 2011
WSBK title winner Checa in riding the all-new 1199 Panigale.
With 85
WSBK starts to his name, Badovini is one of the more experienced riders on the grid, though his most notable success arguably came at Superstock 1000 level when he won the 2010 title with nine victories in ten races.
Returning to
World Superbikes in 2011 aboard a satellite BMW S1000RR, though Badovini didn't reach the podium, he was often a match for the factory machines and reeled off a series of strong top ten finishes to secure tenth overall.
Though he couldn't quite replicate that consistency in 2012, Badovini did at least notch up his first career podium result, achieved in the slippery conditions at Silverstone.
As it stands, Ducati will have three 1199 Panigales on the grid in 2013, with former Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner set to compete aboard a privateer machine.