2019 champ Randy Krummenacher returns to WorldSSP after MV Agusta accusations

Randy Krummenacher will return to the WorldSSP Championship he clinched in 2019 for the first time since dramatically quitting the MV Agusta team after one round alleging breaches of regulation.

The Swiss rider will compete for the EAB Racing Team, which receives assistance from Ten Kate Racing, already replacing Bo Bendsneyder, who after being announced with the team has since decided to remain in Moto2.

The deal will see Krummenacher competing on the Yamaha machinery he raced with when he won the 2019 WorldSSP title under the BARDAHL Evan Bros. banner.

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“I can finally put this difficult period of my career behind me. It's time to start over and I can't wait to get back on the bike. I've really missed riding to be honest and am keen to get back to it; I immediately felt good with Ferry Schoenmakers, head of EAB Racing Team, and know that, even if we'll have to work hard, we'll be working in the same direction, joining forces to achieve significant results. 

“The year couldn't have started in a better way and this is thanks particularly to Ferry, who has considered me, all my sponsors and supporters, as well as my family that supports me in making the right decisions. I hope to be able to repay them all with my results on track and am looking forward to a full throttle '21!"

Krummenacher carried his #1 plate to the MV Agusta Reparto Corse squad in 2020 but left after a single round citing the preservation of his ‘moral and professional integrity’ after accusing the Italian team of breaching technical regulations. Though he informed authorities, there has been no word on whether the case was pursued, while MV Agusta’s counter-claim it would pursue Krummenacher for libel wasn’t followed through on either.

It isn’t the first time Krummenacher has courted controversy with his words, famously railing against his own BARDAHL Evan Bros Yamaha team in the heat of his title battle with team-mate Federico Caricasulo, accusing it of favouring the Italian over him and turning his engine down. Despite this, Krummenacher would clinch the title.

Who else will line-up on the 2021 WorldSSP grid?

With the top two riders from 2020 - runaway champ Andrea Locatelli and Lucas Mahias - stepping up to WorldSBK with Pata Yamaha and Puccetti Kawasaki respectively, there will be a direct successor in 2021.

The highest-placed returnee will be Philipp Oettl, who remains with Puccetti Kawasaki and is joined by Moto3 race winner Can Oncu, while Jules Cluzel - arguably Locatelli’s closest rivals - is back on the GMT 94 Yamaha having missed the final rounds due to an injury sustained in final rounds.

He is joined in the team by series returnee and runner-up to Krummenacher in 2019, Federico Caricasulo, while South African Steve Odendaal replaces Locatelli at BARDHAL Evan Bros.

MV Agusta entrusts its faith in Finnish MotoE racer Niki Tuuli, while Ten Kate Racing - still to confirm its WorldSBK plans - will expand to two bikes with Moto2 veteran Dominique Aegerter and Indonesian star Galang Hendra Pratama on the R6.

What is the future for the WorldSSP Championship?

The WorldSSP Championship is in a state of flux at the moment as Dorna and the FIM determine future regulations to widen the pool of potential competitors amid faltering sales for the category.

As it stands, the most popular model on the grid is the Yamaha R6 but even that is now limited to race-only sales, while MV Agusta has repeatedly said it would prefer to use its 800cc F3, so it can discontinue the 675cc F3 it currently uses.

As such, Triumph will race a faired 765cc Street Triple RS in the British Supersport Championship under the PTR outfit to test equalisation rules against Yamaha and Kawasaki (ZX-6R). If that proceeds well, in 2021 Triumph will be permitted to race along with the Ducati V2, which has undergone tests with Barni Racing and Krummenacher on riding duties.