Michele Pirro


Michele Pio Pirro is a motorcycle racer from Italy, who races in the CIV Superbike Championship aboard a Ducati Panigale V4 R. He has also competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing and the Supersport World Championship.

Career

125cc World Championship (2003–2006)

He began his Grand Prix career as a wild card in the 2003 Italian Grand Prix in the 125cc class, on an Aprilia motorcycle. In 2005, he participated in the same class with Malaguti, scoring 3 points in the Chinese Grand Prix and finishing the season in 33rd place. In 2006, he continued to race in the 125 class on an Aprilia – and later a Honda – without scoring points.

National racing (2007–2008)

In 2007 and 2008 he won the Italian National Championship in the Superstock class on a Yamaha YZF-R1.

Supersport World Championship (2009–2010)

In 2009 he participated in the Supersport World Championship on a Yamaha, ending in 11th place. The following year he switched to Honda and finished in 5th place, with a victory in the Italian round at Imola. He also made a one-off appearance in the Moto2 World Championship at the Aragon Grand Prix, finishing 14th.

Moto2 & MotoGP World Championship (2011–2012)

Pirro returned to Grand Prix racing in 2011 in Moto2 with Team Gresini. He obtained a victory, in the season finale at Valencia, just two weeks after Gresini's MotoGP rider Marco Simoncelli was killed in a crash at the Malaysian Grand Prix.
His MotoGP career began in 2012 with Gresini on a FTR motorcycle, with a best placement of fifth at the Valencian Grand Prix, ending the season in 15th place with 43 points.

Ducati Test Rider (2013–present)

Since 2013, Pirro has been the official test rider of team Ducati. He has participated in races every year, both as wild card and as a substitute for injured riders, obtaining a best result of 7th at the 2013 Italian motorcycle Grand Prix.
During the 2013 season he participated in ten races as a wildcard and as a substitute for the injured Ben Spies, with a best result of seventh at the Italian Grand Prix, ending the season in thirteenth place with 56 points. In 2014, Pirro replaced the injured Cal Crutchlow in the Argentine Grand Prix and participated as a wild-card in five races.
In 2015 and 2016 he continued to be the official Ducati test rider, while also participating in the Italian Superbike Championship, which he won in 2015.
In 2015 he participated as a wild card in the Italian and San Marino MotoGP rounds. He also raced in the Italian round of the Superbike World Championship in Misano as a wild card, and in the Spanish GP as a substitute for the injured Davide Giugliano.
In 2016 he substituted the injured Danilo Petrucci for the Pramac Ducati team in Argentina, Texas and Jerez MotoGP races, and participated as a wild card for the Ducati factory team to the Italian GP at Mugello. He will substitute for the injured Loris Baz at the Catalan GP on an Avintia Ducati.
He continued to participate in MotoGP as Ducati's wild card rider in 2017 and 2018. During a practice session for the 2018 Italian Grand Prix he suffered a severe crash at the end of the start/finish straight and was hospitalised with a concussion.

Career statistics

Grand Prix motorcycle racing

By season

By class

Races by year

YearClassBike12345678910111213141516171819PosPts
2003125ccApriliaJPNRSASPAFRAITA
29
CATNEDGBRGERCZEPORBRAPACMALAUSVALNC0
2004125ccApriliaRSASPAFRAITA
19
CATNEDBRAGERGBRCZEPORJPNQATMALAUSVAL
16
NC0
2005125ccMalagutiSPA
Ret
POR
19
CHN
13
FRA
Ret
ITA
19
CAT
Ret
NED
Ret
GBR
Ret
GER
Ret
CZE
Ret
JPN
Ret
MAL
Ret
QAT
Ret
AUS
Ret
TURVAL33rd3
2006125ccHondaSPAQAT
18
TUR
Ret
CHN
25
FRA
23
ITA
Ret
CAT
20
NED
Ret
GBR
Ret
GER
23
CZE
19
MAL
24
AUS
Ret
JPNPORVALNC0
2010Moto2MoriwakiQATSPAFRAITAGBRNEDCATGERCZEINDRSMARA
14
JPNMALAUSPORVAL38th2
2011Moto2MoriwakiQAT
8
SPA
9
POR
22
FRA
14
CAT
12
GBR
3
NED
17
ITA
Ret
GER
10
CZE
18
IND
20
RSM
14
ARA
Ret
JPN
13
AUS
14
MAL
7
VAL
1
9th84
MotoGPFTRQAT
NC
SPA
Ret
POR
14
FRA
14
CAT
14
GBR
13
NED
9
GER
Ret
ITA
DSQ
USA
Ret
IND
Ret
CZE
14
RSM
10
ARA
15
JPN
15
MAL
12
AUS
14
VAL
5
15th43
MotoGPDucatiQATAMESPA
11
FRA
8
ITA
7
CAT
10
NED
14
GER
10
USAINDCZE
12
GBR
12
RSM
10
ARAMALAUSJPNVAL
10
13th56
MotoGPDucatiQATAMEARG
17
SPA
Ret
FRAITA
11
CAT
14
NEDGERINDCZE
12
GBRRSMARAJPNAUSMALVAL
9
19th18
MotoGPDucatiQATAMEARGSPAFRAITA
8
CATNEDGERINDCZEGBRRSM
Ret
ARAJPNAUSMALVAL
12
21st12
MotoGPDucatiQATARG
12
AME
8
SPA
16
FRAITA
10
CAT
15
NED
Ret
GERAUT
12
CZEGBRRSM
7
ARA
12
JPN
AUS
MAL
VAL
19th36
MotoGPDucatiQATARGAMESPAFRAITA
9
CATNEDGERCZEAUTGBRRSM
5
ARAJPNAUSMALVAL
9
23rd25
MotoGPDucatiQATARGAMESPAFRAITA
DNS
CATNEDGERCZEAUTGBRRSM
15
ARATHAJPNAUSMAL
Ret
VAL
4
22nd14
MotoGPDucatiQATARGAMESPAFRAITA
7
CATNEDGERCZEAUTGBRRSM
Ret
ARATHAJPNAUSMALVAL
Ret
22nd9

Supersport World Championship

Races by year

YearBike1234567891011121314PosPts
2009YamahaAUS
12
QAT
11
SPA
7
NED
10
ITA
7
RSA
9
USA
8
SMR
Ret
GBR
15
CZE
Ret
GER
Ret
ITA
11
FRA
10
POR
6
11th70
2010HondaAUS
Ret
POR
3
SPA
11
NED
Ret
ITA
4
RSA
4
USA
5
SMR
Ret
CZE
Ret
GBRGER
8
ITA
1
FRA
8
5th99

Superbike World Championship

Races by year