Alberto Surra stuns in World Superbike: top-10 finish on his debut with Ducati Motocorsa

A new young star is beginning to shine in the Superbike World Championship. Alberto Surra made his debut with a splendid top 10 on the Motocorsa Ducati, which hopes to relive the glory days of the Axel Bassani years.

Alberto Surra, born in 2004, showed great talent with the tenth time in Superpole, ninth place in Race 1 and 12th in both the Superpole Race and Race 2. The young rider from Piedmont already has 11 points in the overall standings, an excellent haul for a rookie with few tests under his belt. Surra has long been one of the most promising young talents on the international scene. He has 28 Grands Prix to his name in the Moto3 World Championship, excellent results in the Moto2 European Championship, and some convincing performances in the Supersport World Championship, including a podium at Magny-Cours when he was called in to replace an injured rider. So it was no mystery that he could be fast, but he definitely did better than expected.

"I'm very happy with the first weekend," Alberto Surra told Corsedimoto. "At Phillip Island it was my first real approach with the team on a dry track. It was the first time I rode a 1000 on a dry surface, with the Ducati and all the electronics. We went really well; the first approach was very positive. The team worked brilliantly: they welcomed me in an extremely positive way. I hadn’t been to Phillip Island for two years, so everything was new. If in these conditions I managed to keep such a small gap to the leaders and fight for the top 10 against important riders like those in the Superbike World Championship, it's a very good sign. It was truly wonderful, a fantastic start. We’re on the right path. Now we need to be aware of where we started and pick up from where we left off. I thank the team, and let’s try to have another great weekend at Portimão, always moving forward. I can't wait to get back on track."