Alvaro Bautista “opened the door” for MotoGP riders to come to World Superbikes

Alvaro Bautista believes he “opened the door” for more MotoGP riders considering World Superbike seats as good moves for their careers.

The veteran MotoGP rider lost his place on the grand prix grid at the end of the 2018 season and took up a ride with Ducati in World Superbikes.

He won back-to-back world titles in the series with Ducati in 2022 and 2023, before slumping to distant thirds over the previous two seasons.

Since 2019, a number of MotoGP riders have taken up rides in World Superbikes having lost their place on the grand prix grid, including the likes of Danilo Petrucci, Iker Lecuona and Miguel Oliveira.

In an interview with Sport.es, Bautista believes he is responsible for more MotoGP riders seeing World Superbike as a legitimate alternative for their careers.

“It’s great that the Superbike World Championship is now attracting more riders,” the Spaniard said.

“The opportunity presented itself, and I said, ‘I don’t want to go into the Superbike World Championship; it doesn’t motivate me.’

“But that year I opened the door for everyone else, both for other riders and for the public.

“Step by step, everything grew, and the level of the championship improved significantly compared to 2019.

“Now all the drivers are much more professional, and I feel responsible for this change.”

“This year, 2026, MotoGP riders like [Somkiat] Chantra, [Miguel] Oliveira, and [Jake] Dixon are joining.

“The championship has become a genuine alternative to MotoGP. The championship is growing, and its reputation is improving.

“Hopefully, with the new riders and the ever-increasing level of competition, we can continue to offer good battles and a decent show to open more doors and attract more fans, especially here in Spain, where it remains somewhat difficult.”