Michael Rinaldi’s return to the podium: here’s what he still needs to get back to greatness

Michael Ruben Rinaldi twice finished second in the CIV Superbike at Misano after a troubled start to the season: here’s what he’s still missing for the win.

"Finally Rinaldi!" That was, in fact, the collective exclamation of the entire CIV circus at Misano, which hosted the Racing Night last weekend. Michael Ruben Rinaldi, back in his homeland after a long stint in international motorcycle racing between the European Superstock 600 and World Superbike—crowned by the triumph in the 2017 Superstock 1000 FIM Cup—stepped onto the CIV Superbike 2026 podium for the first time. With back-to-back second places in the two races aboard the B-Max Racing team’s Ducati Panigale V4, the rider from Romagna sent signs of a turnaround, finally starting to convert pace into results. Albeit with a few lingering question marks.

Like it or not, Michael Ruben Rinaldi was the center of attention in the new era of the CIV Superbike. Back in his one-off appearance at Imola in 2017 he stood out with a second and a third place, but this year he’s had decidedly less luck. The Rimini native ran into more difficulties than expected upon returning to the Italian series. Competitive in qualifying, but not as convincing in the races. Not through his own fault, to be fair. In the first 3 rounds of the season, the #21 Ducati V4 encountered numerous issues (rumored to be electronic in nature) that affected its performance. A start to the season to forget had even dropped him to ninth in the standings with a total of 37 points from 6 races, leaving doubts and misgivings even among those who had high hopes for him.

Too rough to be true, the turnaround only truly began at the Racing Night, the most anticipated CIV Superbike event. During the 7-week break between Imola and Misano, the B-Max Racing team worked hard to address the issues that had emerged at the start of the season, identifying appropriate countermeasures. On a track that has always suited the former Aruba Ducati WorldSBK rider, the improvements were evident. Michael Ruben Rinaldi, the only one at times capable of troubling reigning Champion Alessandro Delbianco, finished second in Race 1 under the floodlights. He matched that result in Race 2, where he led for three-quarters of the distance after “DB52” crashed at the start, before (literally) fading right at the crucial moment.

A significant confidence boost heading into the decisive stretch of the 2026 CIV Superbike season, even if he’s still paying a bit in terms of endurance over race distance. Michael Ruben Rinaldi publicly attributed this marked drop-off in performance to the “usual” issues that have plagued him since the season opener. Statements that clash with paddock whispers about a slapdash physical preparation, with all that entails. A rumor, however, not confirmed by the man himself, who also had to stomach the sting of Lukas Tulovic’s victory—straight onto the top step of the podium on his debut with the other B-Max Racing Ducati V4. Healthy internal competition set to be renewed at the Vallelunga finale (a triple-header) scheduled for next October, when the reigning Euro Moto (IDM) Champion will make his second wild card (of two) agreed with Massimo Buna’s outfit.

Michael Ruben Rinaldi will have time and space to reflect, with the Racing Night potentially marking a (definitive?) turning point. "Overall, the weekend was quite positive,” Rinaldi admitted. “We’re leaving Misano with two trophies, two second places, and as many fastest laps. Unfortunately, we still haven’t been able to show our full potential. We need to keep pushing to be at 100% for the next races, but we did a good job. I want to dedicate these two podiums to the team for the effort they put in.” All the signs are there for a season finale in 2026 that’s the exact opposite of the negative trend at the start.