Lorenzo Baldassarri set to join Bardahl Evan Bros Yamaha in WorldSSP
After eight seasons in Moto2 Lorenzo Baldassarri is set to join Bardahl Evan Bros Yamaha for the 2022 WorldSSP season.
Since swapping Honda machinery for Yamaha in 2019, the Bardahl Evan Bros outfit has become the intermediate class’ most successful team during that time frame.
That includes winning the 2019 and 2020 world championships with Randy Krummenacher and Andrea Locatelli, while Steven Odendaal finished second to Ten Kate Yamaha’s Dominique Aegerter last year.
The team was expected to continue with Odendaal for this year, however, the two sides parted ways despite having a contract agreement in place after the South African revealed that he was asked to provide funds of his own to go racing.
It now looks likely the team will sign their third consecutive ex-Moto2 rider in the form of Baldassarri, after the Italian left Moto2 last season.
Winner of five Moto2 races since 2016, the 25 year-old was touted to become a MotoGP rider before a disappointing 2020 and especially 2021 campaigns.
Baldassarri, who moved from Kalex to MV Agusta in 2021, failed to secure a top ten finish for the first time since his rookie season (2014) - leading to a 31st place position in the championship.
It was initially thought that Baldassarri would join WorldSSP with MV Agusta after having tested with the team in December, but the second seat alongside Niki Tuuli has gone to Bahattin Sofuoglu instead.
Speedweek.com are reporting that a deal to finalise Baldassarri to Bardahl Evan Bros Yamaha is 99% complete and will be announced in the coming days, which will see him line-up alongside Hungarian rider Peter Sebestyen.
