Mercado secures partial WorldSBK campaign with Team Motocorsa

Leandro Mercado will contest a partial 2020 World Superbike championship campaign for Team Motocorsa Ducati, with the Italian team stepping up to the Superbike class from the Jerez round.

The team will miss the opening two rounds at Phillip Island and the Losail International Circuit before joining the World Superbike grid on a permanent basis from the Jerez round onwards in late March.

Therefore, Mercado will contest 11 rounds of the 2020 WorldSBK campaign including his home round at Circuito San Juan Villicum which hosts the season finale in October. Despite missing three rounds through injury this year, the Argentine rider still ended the season 16^th in the riders’ standings with six top 10 finishes to his name competing for Orelac Racing Kawasaki.

“I’m really pleased to be able to compete with Team Motocorsa and to ride once again with a Ducati. I’ve known Lorenzo Mauri for several years, we have the same goals and at last we can race together,” Mercado said.

“I’m convinced that we will work hard to achieve excellent results together. I can’t wait to get started in the January winter tests and finally try the Ducati V4 R. I want to thank all our sponsors as well as Motul for making this project possible.”

Mercado has spent the majority of his career in the World Superbike paddock having won the 2014 Superstock 1000 championship, with his best campaign in the Superbike class coming one year later when he finished eighth in the standings for Barni Ducati in 2015.