David Salom and Leandro "Tati" Mercado will be racing with the Pedercini Team during the 2012 World Superbike season.
Both riders will join the team on February 13th for a three day testing session at Phillip Island.
"I'm extremely satisfied with the agreement reached with David Salom and Tati Mercado and I'm very happy to have the possibility to work with them again during the 2012 World Superbike championship," said Donato Pedercini. "I know both of them very well and I appreciate their riding qualities and determination. Mercado is young and talented. He's full of enthusiasm and has a real passion for racing. I think he'll be the youngest Superbike rider this year and we will do our best to help him to adapt to our Kawasaki Superbike. Salom is still young but already has some experience. He's strongly motivated and is on our wavelength in terms of projects and targets. We are now working hard to be ready for the first test in Phillip Island and also for the first races of the season. We are expecting a very busy season but one full of great professional satisfaction."
Salom, who spent the last two years in the World Supersport division, will be moving back up to World Superbike in 2012. Salom has found a few podiums in World Supersport but has yet to find the box in WSBK. Salom said:
"I'm very happy to say that I will join the Pedercini Team for the 2012 World Superbike championship. I know all the Pedercini team and they are professional, enthusiastic and ambitious. I want to thank the Pedercini family as they are giving me the opportunity to compete once again in the World Superbike category. I'm really looking forward to this new adventure, as staying on a Kawasaki motorcycle was very important to me. I know that, compared with 2009, the bike is now more competitive and the team also has more experience so I can't wait to get started!"
Leandro "Tati" Mercado is also excited to join the Pedercini team. Mercado said:
"I am really happy to have made this choice and proud to be competing with Team Pedercini in World Superbike. Right from the start of my career, I always considered Superbike to be the premier class and my main goal. I am honoured to remain a part of this fantastic group of people and to be joining them as part of an ambitious project. I'm also very happy to have David Salom as a teammate. I know he's an expert rider and I'm sure he'll help me as I start this new adventure in such a difficult world championship. I'll do my best to pay back the faith Pedercini family have shown in me with some good results and technical development."
