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Ernesto Marinelli has been an almost ever-present force within Ducati's World Superbike program for over two decades.

Last month the Italian announced that he would leave his role as Superbike Project Leader, but having enjoyed a hugely successful 22 years with the Italian manufacturer he will leave with a heavy heart.

Having joined Ducati fresh out of university as an engine technician, Marinelli was keen to prove his worth. He did this with an innovative approach to engine simulations, while working as an undergraduate, and quickly found his way into the Race Department, Ducati Corse.

It was not an easy decision then that he finally decided to move away from Ducati and onto a new chapter in his career.

“Ducati is an extraordinary company,” reflected the Italian. “Even after 22 years I still love my job but it is a stressful life. Between testing and racing there really is no break."

"You do it because you have a passion, and it’s not a normal job. It was actually quite hard when we announced it because of all the messages from people that worked for me. I was very pleased to see that you leave to everyone a good memory."

“There comes a point in your life that you need to balance yourself a bit better. I think it was about time to balance my life a bit better."

"There was a new opportunity coming that actually would bring new experience on my profile. It was a difficult decision, and I was putting all the plus and minus in a table like any engineer does!"

"At this point of my life, it was a bit more the plus than the minus to make the change. It was a very hard though and it was a stressful decision because I love what I’m doing. I love the people that I work with. I love the company that I work for.”

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A major surprise out of Borgo Panigale this afternoon. Ernesto Marinelli, the man behind so much of Ducati’s World Superbike success, is to leave the company at the end of 2017 for pastures new.

Marinelli has been a lynchpin in Ducati’s WSBK operation, working with the company for 22 years. He started as a track engineer, working with both Carl Fogarty and Neil Hodgson, but soon took on a major role in Ducati’s racing operations.

The Italian led Ducati’s AMA racing program at the end of last century, working with such legendary riders as Troy Bayliss, Ben Bostron, Anthony Gobert, and John Kocinski.

After returning to Europe, he took over the role of technical director, then project manager of Ducati’s WorldSBK project.

Confirming rumors that Filippo Preziosi would be leaving his role as head of Ducati Corse, the Italian company announces today that the man responsible for BMW Motorrad’s World Superbike program, Bernhard Gobmeier, will be taking over the position at Ducati Corse. Reporting directly to Ducati CEO Gabriele del Torchio, Gobmeier will ultimately be in charge of all the racing projects at Ducati, including MotoGP and World Superbike.

Stepping down from his position, Preziosi will take on the role of Director of Research & Development for Ducati Motor Holding, where he will use his engineering and design talents to help develop Ducati’s next road bikes. He will report directly to Claudio Domenicali, the General Manager of Ducati Motor Holding.

On the Corse side of things, Paolo Ciabatti will oversee Ducati’s MotoGP project, while Ernesto Marinelli will be in charge of Ducati’s WSBK racing efforts with Team Ducati Alstare. Both Ciabatti & Marinelli will report to Gobmeier.

All the conjecture about Ducati’s factory World Superbike team can now come to a halt, as the Italian brand has announced that Francis Batta’s Belgian organisation, Team Alstare will take over the reigns of the company’s new WSBK effort.

At the helm of the Ducati 1199 Panigale RS13 will be former WSBK Champion Carlos Checa, who will be joined by Ayrton Badovini. Handling Ducati’s World Superbike campaign for the next two years, Alstare takes over from Althea Racing — a move that made headlines just a week ago.

The 2012 Ducati 1199 Panigale comes loaded with a bevy of new features and technologies, along with enough three-letter acronyms to go double-word score on any unassuming rider. ABS, DTC, DQS, LED, EBC, DDA+, DES, RbW, OMGWTFBBQ, this alphabet soup all stands for key components on the Ducati 1199 Panigale, and to help explain those letters Ducati has enlisted Ernesto Marinelli, the head of the Ducati World Superbike effort.

At 11 minutes in length, Marinelli takes his time explaining the thought and process behind the new Panigale, though if you’re a nitty-gritty technical egghead who was looking for information like how Ducati implemented the first production LED headlight on a motorcycle, you’ll likely be disappointed by this video like we were. However for the die hard Ducatistas, your Wednesday Ducati fix is after the jump.

According to the venerable GPone, Ducati will be doing a double dose of testing today at the Italian circuit of Mugello. Perhaps the only thing that can excite Ducatista more than Valentino Rossi on-board the Ducati Desmosedici GP12 (something that will be taking place today as well) is news that the 2012 Ducati “Superquadrata” Superbike will be making its track debut at the Italian circuit.

Reportedly Italian Danilo Petrucci, who currently campaigns a Ducati 1098R in the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup for the Barni Racing team, will be at the helm of the new 2012 Ducati Superbike, testing the machine in both Superbike and Superstock trim, and in the bike’s first trials outside of the Borgo Panigale dyno room.