The Pedercini Team is pleased to announce that it has decided on its riders for the 2012 World Superbike Championship season. Lucio and Donato Pedercini have reached an agreement with Spaniard David Salom and Argentinean Leandro "Tati" Mercado (photo). Both riders will be on track with the Pedercini Team from the Phillip Island test on February 13, 14 and 15 and obviously also at the official test of 20-21, a week before the opening World Superbike Championship round, to be held at the same track.

The entire team is happy to see the return of both riders. Salom and Mercado already know all the technical staff and this will help both the riders and the team as they prepare for the upcoming season.

Donato Pedercini:

"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. 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."


David Salom:

"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:

"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."