It was in twelfth place in the 2019 Superbike World Championship that the German Sandro Cortese finished, with teammate Marco Melandri who finished in ninth position. For this year, these two riders were replaced within the GRT Yamaha WorldSBK by the American Garrett gerloff and the Italian Federico Caricasulo.
During the first tests in Jerez last November, Lorenzo Savadori rode a Kawasaki Pedercini. Unfortunately the rest was less happy when Global Service Solution, the main sponsor of the team, was concerned by Justice.
Sandro Cortese also found himself quite bored. He had the opportunity to try the Barni Racing Ducati during the Portimão tests, to possibly be the teammate of Leon Camier with a shoulder injury, but there were not the finances necessary to hire a second pilot.
All Cortese's negotiations with GRT Yamaha, Ten Kate Yamaha, Puccetti Kawasaki, Barni Ducati, MIE Honda and Marc VDS for Moto2 ended unsuccessfully.
Finally an agreement was reached between Cortese and Pedercini. This Sunday morning, the Italian team manager was finally able to publish the good news: “Lucio Pedercini, team principal, announces the agreement with Sandro Cortese for the ZX1000RR. The deal was signed today, closing out the team's 2020 Superbike project, which will line up with 3 Moto2012 World Champion Cortese was also the 2018 Supersport championship winner.
The Pedercini team is well prepared for 2020: Cortese will be equipped with a ZX-10RR engine prepared at Akira, while the electronics, swingarm, suspension elements from Showa are identical to those of the team from the Kawasaki factory Jonathan Rhea et alex lowes.
Lucio Pedercini hired an electronics engineer from Provec, the Spanish company behind the Kawasaki factory team. The only difference to the official bikes will be the chassis at the first two overseas events in Australia and Qatar, with the current model given to Cortese for the European opener at Jerez on the last weekend of March.
Late last week, Cortese received Pedercini's contract and had it reviewed by his legal advisors; Saturday afternoon, the two parties signed this contract. The importance of mutual trust is proven by the fact that the man from Berkheim ordered his Pedercini-designed leather from equipment manufacturer Dainese last Wednesday to visually shine at Phillip Island.
Sandro will have two days of testing with the ZX-10RR on February 24-25, before the 2020 World Championship begins the following weekend. After the Yamaha R1 and the Ducati V4 R, the Kawasaki is its third Superbike in five months.
Photos © Pedercini Racing
Source: Speedweek. com
