Alvaro Bautista close to a new team, Ducati identify his replacement
Dominoes fall in the WorldSBK rider market
Two more important rider contracts are edging closer to being signed.
The 2026 World Superbike Championship rider line-up will be a major overhaul.
The exit of Toprak Razgatlioglu to MotoGP started the significant changes, which sped up when Aruba.it Ducati confirmed they would not continue with Alvaro Bautista.
Bautista has nearly found a new home, while Ducati have identified his replacement.
Alvaro Bautista close to a new WorldSBK team
Bautista is in talks with Barni Ducati, according to Motosprint.
Barni rider Danilo Petrucci has signed for BMW in 2026 as Razgatlioglu’s replacement.
The move would enable Bautista to remain on Ducati machinery.
And Barni would welcome a vastly experienced rider, like Petrucci.
Barni held talks with Jonathan Rea which fell apart due to the language barrier, Speedweek report.
Ducati identify Alvaro Bautista replacement
Iker Lecuona is the No1 target for Aruba.it Ducati to replace Bautista, Motosprint report.
The objective was to find a young rider without a massive salary.
Jonathan Rea, as an example, did not fit this criteria and he is still searching for a new team.
Spanish rider Lecuona is seen as the ideal 2026 teammate for Nicolo Bulega, who penned a new deal to stay with Aruba.it Ducati.
Lecuona will leave behind a vacant Honda so the domino pieces will continue to fall in the rider market.
In this article
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
