Alvaro Bautista announces new WorldSBK team for 2026

Barni Spark Ducati has announced the signing of Alvaro Bautista for the 2026 WorldSBK season.

Two-time World Superbike Champion Bautista was finally confirmed to be leaving the Aruba.it Racing Ducati team yesterday (Monday 25 August) when Iker Lecuona was announced as Nicolo Bulega’s teammate for the 2026 season.

The Spanish rider will replace Danilo Petrucci at the Barni team, Petrucci having been announced earlier this summer to be moving to the factory BMW team next season to replace the MotoGP-bound Toprak Razgatlioglu.

Yet to win a race in 2025, Bautista remains in contention for third in the riders’ standings, a position currently held by Petrucci who is 16 points clear of Bautista.

“I want to thank Barni for his trust and interest in me,” Alvaro Bautista said on the announcement of his Barni move for 2026.

“Immediately after the announcement that I would be free for the 2026 season, he contacted me without hesitation and that means a lot to me.

“I am happy to stay in the Ducati family, with whom I have already achieved successes and I believe that together with Barni we can achieve great results.

“The team is constantly growing season after season and this agreement represents a further step. We will have to work hard because I will be working with new people, but I am confident because I see in Barni great motivation and competitive spirit.

“I want to show that I can still win. The last two years have not been easy because of the new regulations, but now with the new Panigale V4 and Ducati support we will have everything we need to be competitive.

“The goal is to reach our highest level and from there aim higher and higher.”

Marco Barnabo, Barni Spark Team Principal, added: “We are proud to welcome Alvaro [Bautista] to our team for next season. For a private team, having a three-time world champion is a source of great satisfaction and demonstrates the consolidated credibility and depth of the team.

“Important challenges await us, but this is precisely what drives us to constantly improve.

“Alvaro is still proving his worth today and we are sure that he will be able to make a fundamental contribution to us to continue to grow.

“We must remember that, thanks to the support of those who believe and invest in us, such as our partner Spark Serbia, our sponsors DTO, Bardahl, Spider, Gommauto Ambrosiana, PSP and Iride, together with all the technical sponsors, we can prove our worth.

“Special thanks also go to Ducati, which allows us to have a competitive package.”

The announcement of Bautista's arrival at Barni comes after Jonathan Rea announced his retirement from full-time racing. 

Pata Yamaha rider Rea was believed to have been interested in the Barni ride before his retirement was announced.