Former champion “received many calls” after WorldSBK retirement announcement

Michael Ruben Rinaldi has indicated he had several options open to him in 2026 after announcing his retirement from WorldSBK.

Rinaldi, who won the 2017 Superstock 1000 title in the WorldSBK paddock, announced his retirement from World Superbike after the final race of 2025 in Jerez, having endured a 2025 that saw him battling mid-pack in Supersport at the beginning of the year, then fighting at the back of WorldSBK after switching to MotoxRacing for the Misano round.

The Italian says that a desire to not fight at the back anymore was behind his decision to retire from the World Championship, but that he has options for 2026.

“It’s been big news for me, after many years in Superbike I decided to stop because last year has been quite tough,” Michael Ruben Rinaldi told WorldSBK.com at the EICMA show in Milan.

“I see myself not anymore fighting for the lowest positions on the grid and I didn’t have the chance to have a strong package for next year. 

“So, I said to myself ‘It’s okay, sometimes life is like this’. So, for sure in 2026 I will not be racing Superbike, even if I’m still quite young because I’m 29-years-old. But this is life. 

“At the moment, I don’t know yet what will be my future because since I made the announcement I received many calls from different teams in different championships and that’s something that I’m happy about. 

“But I will take my time to take a decision and we will see. 

“Maybe the last race in Jerez was not my last race in Superbike, I don’t know yet, but there’s a strong chance that it was my last and the next time, if I come, I would be happy to come in a way that allows me to show all my potential. If not, it’s okay like this; I’m still happy and so grateful for what Superbike gave me.”

On the options that have been presented to him so far for 2026, Rinaldi said that some have been to race in different championships, while others would keep him in the World Superbike paddock in “a different role”.

“The calls that I’ve received are to race in different championships as a rider, but also inside the paddock with a different role,” he said.

“That gives me a lot to think about because that means to stop racing at 100 per cent. 

“My wish is to find something that can make me happy and I can stay involved in some way in motorsports because it’s my passion since I was a child. 

“We will see, I didn’t take a decision yet so it will be two months that will be pretty busy for me and also for my future life.”