WorldSBK: Rinaldi - in or out of Aruba Ducati?

On Saturday at Magny-Cours the Italian media gave Michael Ruben Rinaldi a 90 per cent chance of remaining a factory rider in 2023, despite many people from outside his home country saying he was definitely going to be out. Time will tell, but something has changed from within the world of Rinaldi.

The usually smiling and happy Rinaldi was a little more serious on Friday, and he explained why.

“Yes. It has been like this since the Barcelona test, and I think will continue like this for all my career, because I understand that you need to be professional in some way and also only few people’s deserve some feelings from you, so I decided to be like this. And for sure.

“My goals remain the same and everything I’m going to say I just want to be more professional. And yes you can say there is a new new Michael since the Barcelona test. And you know, I will be always be a good person and stuff like this, but maybe it’s time to change a little bit how you need to be with other people.”

Whatever conversation or directive had instigated this new more serious Rinaldi, it seemed to have an effect. When he was reminded that he has won races in WorldSBK and earned himself a factory ride by just being himself, he said, “Yes, but I didn’t win the championship yet. And when you are in a factory team, the goal is to win the championship. So you need to upgrade even if you’re doing quite good.

“But if you put me like in team GO Eleven and I do these kinds of results, I’m like a hero - but to be in a factory seat you are not. So you cannot keep being the same you need to grow and you need to change. And so it’s time to change because the occasion passed really fast. And I don’t want to miss opportunities. Yes, I am winning races but not