Vladimir Leonov has been a Superbike rider on Denis Hertrampf’s team since the IDM finale at Hockenheim. Now Daniel Kartheininger is also officially on board. However, the brand of motorcycle they will race on is still undecided. The decision is proving more difficult than expected.
Leonov finished on the podium three times during the 2021 season and placed fourth overall in the championship standings on the Yamaha YZF-R1M. In addition, the Russian was the only rider in the premier class to score points in every race. Furthermore, the 34-year-old from Moscow, riding for the Hertrampf MO Yamaha Racing Team, was the most successful rider on a different brand behind the leading BMW trio. Nevertheless, an agreement with the German Yamaha importer for 2022 has yet to be reached.
Separately, Daniel Kartheininger was entered into the race as a guest rider on the Ducati V4R Panigale. Hertrampf wanted to see how the “Red Diva” would perform in race conditions. At the season finale, Kartheininger finished in the top ten. Hertrampf had hoped, not least because of his dedicated development work, to convince the Ducati brand to join the IDM industry pool so that he could also compete for points with the Panigale. “I don’t have any positive news yet,” says the Lower Saxony native, but hope remains.
“At the moment, I’ve signed two experienced Superbike riders, Vladimir Leonov and Daniel Kartheininger, who I believe make up a strong team, but they’re currently without a bike,” Hertrampf summarizes the situation as the year comes to a close, adding: “We’re in contact with Yamaha, but not exclusively. We need to find the right bike, but we also need to have the budget to be able to operate effectively.”