P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Michael Ruben Rinaldi has announced his retirement from WorldSBK, but says his “purpose” remains the same.
Former factory Ducati WorldSBK rider Michael Ruben Rinaldi has announced his retirement from the series after a successful career. He competed in the World Superbike Championship starting from 2018, following his victory over Toprak Razgatlioglu in the 2017 European Superstock 1000 championship. Rinaldi achieved his first WorldSBK victory in 2020 at Aragon while riding for the Go Eleven team, with four more wins in the following seasons for the factory Ducati squad. He then moved to the Motocorsa team in 2024, facing a downturn in results with only seven top-10 finishes.
In 2025, Rinaldi shifted to WorldSSP before returning to World Superbike with the MotoxRacing Yamaha team in the same year. Despite scoring points on several occasions, he announced his departure from the series via an emotional Instagram post. Rinaldi expressed gratitude for his time in WorldSBK and his determination to continue pursuing his dream of becoming a World Champion. He concluded with a message of gratitude to his fans and followers, hinting at new endeavors beyond motorcycle racing.
