World Supersport race winner Roberto Rolfo will return to the World Superbike Championship in Qatar in place of the injured Ayrton Badovini at the Grillini Kawasaki team.
Rolfo sensationally pipped Lucas Mahias to victory in the opening round of the 2017 WorldSSP season at Phillip Island in February, but after a continual decline in form the Factory Vamag team were forced to part ways with the Italian during the summer break.
A one-off appearance for the Lorini Honda team in France came to nothing, and Rolfo has been on the sidelines since.
Last competing in WorldSBK in 2011 on a Kawasaki, the 37-year-old – whose best finish in the class is a fourth in 2007 at Monza and Silverstone – admits his motivation has remained high despite his difficulties and is looking forward to returning to action next weekend.
“I am very happy to finally come back and to do so in the Superbike category,” said Rolfo.
“After the victory in Australia the season hasn’t been the happiest, but I never lost motivation and my goal has always been to come back to race with a good bike.
“I want to thank Andrea Grillini (team boss) for the opportunity that he is giving, and letting me race in an important category as the Superbike is with a nice bike like the Kawasaki ZX-10RR.
“My commitment will be at the top, I am looking forward to this new experience and I want to have fun.”
Badovini – who has had injury troubles already this year – has been forced to withdraw from the remaining two races after suffering yet more injury woes in a crash during the Jerez round.
Rolfo will not be the only WorldSBK returnee on the grid in Qatar, as Pedercini Kawasaki will field European Superstock 1000 race winner Jeremy Guarnoni in place of Ricardo Russo, who left the team following the Jerez round.
Elsewhere on the grid, Argentine rider Leandro Mercado will not contest the final round of the season after his IodaRacing team decided to pull out of the series. It is though Mercado will return next year backed by the Orelac team, who will be stepping up from WorldSSP.
