European Superstock 1000 race winner Jeremy Guarnoni will return to the World Superbike Championship as Riccardo Russo’s replacement at Pedercini Kawasaki at the season–ending Qatar round.
Russo endured a torrid opening seven rounds to his 2017 WorldSBK campaign with the Guandalini Yamaha team, with the Italian racking up nine DNFs and just two points finishes on the YZF–R1. He was dropped after the Misano round.
After Pedercini parted ways with former grand prix rider Alex De Angelis ahead of the German round, Russo was brought in and managed three successive points finishes.
Despite enjoying a better time of things aboard the Kawasaki, Russo has decided to leave the team just a week before the final round of the season in Qatar.
His replacement, French rider Guarnoni, won the Superstock 600 class in 2010 before stepping up to the STK1000 series for the first time.
Finishing third in the standings in 2012 and 2013, Guarnoni stepped up to WorldSBK for 2014 with MRS Kawasaki and ended the year 14th in the overall standings, while finishing third in the EVO class.
Guarnoni returned to STK1000 for 2015, and ended the 2017 season sixth in the standings, while also tallying up a win on home soil at Magny–Cours.
As a reward for his efforts in STK1000 this year from Kawasaki Europe – to whom he is directly contracted – Guarnoni will see out the WorldSBK season with Pedercini under the floodlights of the Losail International Circuit next weekend.
