Why three MotoGP & WorldSBK riders aren’t racing at World Ducati Week

Four MotoGP and WorldSBK riders will not be racing the Race of Champions at World Ducati Week this week.

The Race of Champions is a bi-annual feature at World Ducati Week, the most recent one taking place back in 2024 when Francesco Bagnaia won and Marc Marquez memorably made contact with Nicolo Bulega in the final corner.

This year’s Race of Champions will feature Bagnaia, Marquez, and Bulega, but not four other headline Ducati riders.

From WorldSBK, Iker Lecuona is absent this weekend as his wife recently gave birth. The Spaniard will spend time with his family before heading to the UK for the next WorldSBK round at Donington on 10–12 July.

Other absentees this weekend are both Gresini Racing riders from MotoGP. Fermin Aldeguer suffered a vertebra fracture during Practice at the Dutch Grand Prix last weekend (26–28 June) which ruled him out of the Assen weekend as well as the Race of Champions.

Alex Marquez raced to fifth at Assen as he finished his first race since coming back from injuries he picked up at Barcelona. But he also crashed on Friday, sustaining heavy abrasions to his right arm in particular, and will not ride this weekend at Misano.

Marquez will be back on track at Sachsenring next weekend for the German MotoGP (10–12 July), although Aldeguer is expected to miss the Germany race with the injuries he sustained in the Netherlands.

Michele Pirro was also a doubt for the Race of Champions when he crashed and hurt his arm in practice on Friday, but he has continued the weekend anyway.

The Race of Champions is due to take place on Sunday (5 July), starting at 12:40 local time, or 11:40 BST.