Alex Polita will return to the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship grid at Assen this weekend as the Italian contender joins the Lloyds British Moto Rapido Ducati team for the final two rounds of the season.

Former Italian Superbike and FIM Superstock 1000 Cup champion Polita first made an appearance in MCE BSB back in 2012(see picture below) and is excited to be joining the Winchester-based team ahead of the penultimate round.

Polita said: “I'm really excited for this opportunity with the Lloyds British Moto Rapido Ducati team; this is a big chance for me for return to the British Championship. For me to return to the grid at Assen is amazing because I love the circuit and I am ready to come out and push hard for the team.

“I know it is very tough in the championship, but I want to do the best job I can because I would like to be in BSB next year too. I need to make the most of this opportunity and at the moment this is a very special time for me as I am also going to become a father very soon. It is amazing for me right now and I want to have the best weekend possible for the team.”

Team Boss says: “This season has been tough but our plan is to end on a high so I’m very pleased to welcome Alex to the team. He is hungry for success  and has good experience at Assen.  We have a lot of work to do on day 1, but we can do it. We don’t underestimate how hard it is to enter this championship this late and compete with teams and riders already up to speed.  We have spoken to Alex a lot and already have some settings for the bike to suit him.. it’s never easy changing riders, however frequently we do it, and there is a massive amount of work to do with handlebar, footpeg and rider position etc.  The team have been amazing this past week getting everything prepared for him.  I’m really looking forward to the weekend now.”