Tito Rabat returns to WorldSBK

After almost a full season in the Motul FIM Superbike World Championship in 2021 and a handful of fill-in rides in 2022, Esteve ‘Tito’ Rabat is back in the category, replacing Tom Sykes at Kawasaki Puccetti Racing. The 34-year-old Spaniard will race for the satellite Kawasaki team for the remainder of the 2023 WorldSBK season.

The Kawasaki Puccetti Racing garage will be familiar territory for Rabat, as the 2014 Moto2 World Champion rode for the team in 2021 and 2022, with a best result of eleventh at San Juan Villicum in 2021. Rabat will be balancing time in WorldSBK with competing in this year’s MotoE electric bike championship that’s held alongside selected MotoGP rounds.

“I’m pleased to return to Team Puccetti and Kawasaki,” Rabat said. “This is a great opportunity for me to return to WorldSBK, but also to keep up the race pace, because this year I’m competing in MotoE, where there are not so many races.

“I’ll try to make the most of this opportunity and help Manuel Puccetti’s team as they continue to develop their bike. I have had some great times with this team and there is much respect both ways, so I think this is a good time to rejoin them and achieve more success.”

In response, Manual Puccetti said: “I’m pleased to announce the return of Tito Rabat to our team. In both 2021 and 2022, the Spaniard was tasked with standing in for an injured rider, which is never easy. And he raced without having a chance to test, so without knowing our bike. Despite that, Tito always proved to be the consummate professional, with significant experience under his belt in both the Moto2 and MotoGP championships.

“It will be a pleasure for us to have him back on the team, where our goal will be to continue developing the bike and try to improve on the results scored thus far.”

In his first round back with Kawasaki Puccetti Racing (the team’s home round at Misano on 2-4 June), Rabat’s best result was 16th in the Superpole Race.