Two-time WorldSBK champion Alvaro Bautista has agreed to join Barni Spark Racing for the 2026 campaign.

The Spaniard will leave the factory Ducati outfit for a second time after it decided to replace him with fellow countryman Iker Lecuona.

Bautista’s future in WorldSBK had been uncertain since Ducati chose not to exercise the second year of his 1+1 contract.

After reported talks with six-time WorldSBK champion Jonathan Rea fell through, Barni Spark presented a deal with the 40-year-old.

Bautista’s extensive knowledge of the Panigale is believed to have made him an attractive option ahead of the debut of Ducati’s new V4R model in 2026.

He will replace Italian rider Danilo Petrucci, who agreed to join BMW on a one-year deal earlier this year.

 “I want to thank Barni for the trust and interest he has shown in me,” Bautista shared.

“Right 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’m happy to remain in the Ducati family, where I have already achieved success and I believe that together with Barni we can reach great results.

“The team is constantly growing season after season, and this agreement represents another step forward.

“It will take commitment since I’ll be working with new people, but I’m confident because I see in Barni great motivation and a strong competitive spirit. I want to prove that I can still win.

“The last two years have not been easy due to the new regulations, but now with the new Panigale V4 and Ducati’s support, we’ll have everything we need to be competitive.

“The goal is to reach our maximum potential and from there aim even higher.”

Barni Spark Racing Team Principal Marco Barnabo stated: “We are proud to welcome Alvaro to our team for the upcoming season.

“For a private team, having a three-time World Champion is a source of great satisfaction and proves the solid credibility and stature of our team.

“Important challenges await us, but that’s exactly what drives us to constantly improve.

“Alvaro is still proving his worth today, and we are certain he can give us a fundamental contribution to continue growing.”

READ MORE – Six-time WorldSBK champion Jonathan Rea announces retirement after the 2025 season

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Alvaro Bautista’s career beyond 2025 is still uncertain after he posted an important update on his WorldSBK future at Donington Park.

The Spaniard revealed at the last round in Misano that Ducati wouldn’t be exercising the additional second year on his contract.

Despite turning 40 in November last year, Bautista admitted he wants to remain racing for 2026, but his final destination remains unclear.

He has yet to win in 2025 and currently lies fourth in the championship, 120 points behind team-mate and championship leader Nicolo Bulega.

The two-time WorldSBK champion revealed that he has contacted manufacturers but no offers have been made at present time.

“Well, I am a free agent. I don’t have any free contract but we have been speaking with some manufacturers but there’s still nothing on the table,” Bautista told WorldSBK ahead of the UK round.

“But I’m not worried, I just tried to be focused in the present and try to enjoy the bike. I think I can be calm because my performances are good.

“I think if you are fast and precise you have more option to race for next season.”

Alvaro Bautista outlines his two main targets for 2026

Bautista explained that the minimum weight regulations introduced in 2024, which include rider weight and ballast, could limit his options on the 2026 grid.

The two-time WorldSBK champion has admitted that all options are open, hinting he could be prepared to leave WorldSBK if an ideal offer arrives.

“Fortunately, there are a lot of bikes free for next year so I’m not really worried. The problem as well is the manufacturer I speak with, it’s a big problem as they have add 7kg on the back of the bike.

“The most important is if we came back to normal regulations because this rule has been a bit unfair.

“There are a lot of free bikes [for 2026]. With Ducati, the door is not closed because we need to keep speaking and see what happens.

“For sure my first target is to keep racing, second target is to keep racing in WorldSBK, so let’s see what happens.”

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According to reports, Ducati and Alvaro Bautista are expected to part ways after the conclusion of the 2025 WorldSBK season.

The two-time WorldSBK champion signed a one-year contract extension in 2024, with an option for a second year. However, a clause in the agreement allows either party to cancel the second year if a decision is made before July 2025.

SpeedWeek reports that the Aruba.it Ducati outfit have exercised the option to not renew for a second year and have communicated this to the Spaniard.

No decision has been made regarding a replacement, with Ducati expected to announce in the coming months who will join championship leader Nicolo Bulega in 2026.

The 40-year-old has made it clear he wants to continue racing for Ducati and ride the new-spec Panigale V4, but no satellite Ducati line-up has been announced for him or any other riders bar Ryan Vickers.

The vast majority of Bautista’s WorldSBK success came while racing in Bologna colours, winning two WorldSBK titles in 2022 and 2023, along with 63 victories – placing him joint-second on the all-time wins list.

Although his future remains uncertain, only five current riders on the WorldSBK grid have secured their places beyond the 2025 season as the transfer market heats up.

The vast majority of satellite Ducati teams, along with Honda, Yamaha, and now BMW, have positions available for the Spaniard.

BMW, in particular, recently lost Toprak Razgatlioglu, who confirmed his switch to MotoGP with Pramac Yamaha earlier this week.

READ MORE – Nicolo Bulega agrees Ducati WorldSBK contract extension with MotoGP test role

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Alvaro Bautista shared that the height difference between himself and WorldSBK team-mate Nicolo Bulega sees him lose time “in every area” at Cremona.

The Spaniard suffered a difficult Friday when trying to find the limit aboard his V4 R Panigale, crashing three times across both practice sessions.

Despite the difficult start to the weekend, Bautista bounced back to secure three podiums for the first time this season, sealing a hat-trick of third-place finishes.

His pace was stronger than the rest of the field, but he was in a world of his own compared to championship protagonists Bulega and Toprak Razgatlioglu.

“I’m happy because I improve the feeling with the bike today, comparing race one, I can be faster on the pace,” Bautista told media including Motorsport Week.

“It was not enough to fight against Nicolo [Bulega] and Toprak [Razgatlioglu], but we did a step forward.

“I’m too small and I’m struggling a lot when I have to move the bike, and when I have to stop the bike and make the bike down, for sure, I always struggle in all this.

“This kind of tracks are not the best for a small rider like me. But yeah, for sure we need something, still with Toprak, I’m not sure because we are riding different bike, but with Nicolo that I had the chance to see the data and to compare our data, we are losing a little bit. 

“It’s not like a big area, but a little bit in every area, no? Especially, he can turn a bit better than me, and that means that he can pick up a bit earlier than me, and he can accelerate.”

Despite the margin difference, the 40-year-old explained that his pace and feeling on the bike have improved round by round.

“It’s the reality and we are working to improve this problem that we have at present, we improve last year’s feeling, we are improving all the lap times in all the tracks, all the base. 

“But still not enough to fight for victory, no, but we are working as hard as we can, and yeah, from yesterday to today, we did a step forward, especially in hot condition, and we have to keep in mind also for the next round if we find these conditions.”

Alvaro Bautista solved a technical issue from Friday WorldSBK practice

The Spaniard explained on Saturday that he unlocked more of the bike’s true potential after solving a technical issue on the bike itself.

Due to multiple crashes during practice, he was unable to establish a consistent rhythm over multiple laps.

“I’m satisfied because after missing Friday, I felt much better on the bike. We found a technical issue from Friday on the bike,” he revealed.

“So there was something not working. Fortunately, we found [the solution] this morning. So again, I can get a good confidence, but, you know, when I was on the grid, I was thinking ‘What do you expect about tyres like, because what was the maximum I did with the tyres?’

“And yesterday in FP2, we couldn’t make a long run, so it was like, I don’t know what to expect.”

Bautista’s podium finish marked his first Race 1 finish since the season opener in Phillip Island, but the event wasn’t as smooth sailing as he would have liked.

“At the beginning, I struggled a lot. I did a good start,” he began.

“I struggled to go into the corners with more weight on the bike, with the fuel, and then improve a little bit, but Toprak and Nicolo were too far and I cannot catch them.

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Two-time WorldSBK champion Alvaro Bautista shared what he would do if he were in Toprak Razgatlioglu’s position regarding a potential move to MotoGP in 2026.

The Turkish rider has dominated headlines in recent weeks over a potential move to MotoGP for the 2026 season.

Razgatlioglu has been linked with potential moves to Honda and Pramac Yamaha for 2026 ahead of the new MotoGP regulations in 2027.

Bautista is a familiar name in the MotoGP paddock, having featured in 275 races from 2006 to 2018, winning the 125cc title in 2006.

The Spaniard shared his thoughts on what he would do if he were in the defending WorldSBK champion’s position for the next chapter of his career.

“For me, I will remain here [In WorldSBK],” Bautista told select media, including Motorsport Week, after Race 1.

“But because I was there in MotoGP, and I had experience there, but for sure, he never race there, so I think he wanted to try.

“But here he’s a superstar, and there, if you are fifth, you are nobody.

“So, well, it’s his decision, but for sure, in my case, I will remain here, but I understand that if you never try to race in MotoGP at least once in your life, you want to try, you know?”

Toprak Razgatlioglu: MotoGP ‘transition’ has to be before 2027

Ahead of the race weekend at Cremona, Razgatlioglu shared the latest on a possible move to MotoGP for 2026.

The 29-year-old is in the frame for a possible move and admitted that discussions with different brands are still ongoing.

He believes his the Pirelli partnership for MotoGP tyres could allow for a smoother transition if he was to switch series.

“We’re still discussing with different brands, but I don’t know where I’ll be going,” he said to GPOne.

“As for me, I prefer to stay focused on my job, which is riding the bike. When I sign, you’ll know. Is MotoGP the priority? I talk about that with my manager, Sofuoglu, not with you.”

“I have only tried the Superbike so far but, in two years, they will have Pirellis available, so I could have fun there. If a chance to go arises, I’ll try to take advantage of it, since I’ve given enough here.

“To date, however, I’m very happy to be here. Should the opportunity not arrive, I won’t mind.

“In any case, the transition will have to take place by 2027 since, in my opinion, 2028 will already be too late for everything.”

READ MORE – Toprak Razgatlioglu has ‘opportunities’ in MotoGP and WorldSBK in 2026

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Aruba.it Ducati team principal Stefano Cecconi has provided an important update on its 2026 WorldSBK rider line-up.

The contracts of incumbent riders Nicolo Bulega and Alvaro Bautista both expire at the end of the 2025 season.

Championship leader Bulega has previously stated his ambition of staying put for the new season and revealed that both parties haven’t discussed the finer details just yet.

“To be honest, we’re just on the third round, there is no rush,” Cecconi stated to WorldSBK.

“We just started talking about the future, but no decision will be taken anytime soon.

“I hope within a couple of months, before the beginning of the summer, to be 90% sure of what is going on.”

Ducati is eager to plan for 2026 as early as possible and has two plans in mind to secure Bulega’s future in Bologna.

“The sooner the better but like I said no rush, we will take our time whether that is a couple weeks or a few months.

“Talking about Nicolo, it might be a two-year contract, but as a plan B it may be 1+1.”

Alvaro Bautista likely to stay if he is ‘having fun’

Two-time champion Bautista looks set to remain with Ducati beyond 2025, but contract negations will start when he is enjoying his racing.

The Spaniard’s mindset in 2025 is rediscovering his feelings on the bike after a difficult 2024 season that saw only four wins.

Cecconi explained that this feeling is crucial in determining whether the 40-year-old will remain in the series.

“Regarding Alvaro, the first question is to see if he is going to be having fun again, as he has said many times,” Cecconi began.

“The feeling on the bike is very important for him to make the decision or not. He’s on a good path so far on the bike and if he can follow this feeling then we can talk about the future.

“As a policy normally we first make sure that the rider is going to stay, then we work on the new bike, it doesn’t make sure to work on the bike with a rider that you’re not sure if they’re staying or not.

“Renewal first, then we focus on the new bike with the riders we are sure we will have.”

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Nicolo Bulega heads into the Assen WorldSBK round feeling “completely different” in comparison to his debut outing at the circuit in 2024.

The Italian is the distant leader at the top of the championship with 29 points separating himself and defending champion Toprak Razgatlioglu.

Bulega’s past success has seen two wins and a pole position when he was in the junior categories, completing a dominant display back in 2023.

Ahead of the race weekend, speaking on Thursday’s press conference, Bulega began: “I feel good. Assen is a track that I like a lot and in WorldSSP, I won two races, had pole position, and it’s a track I like.

“Last year in WorldSBK wasn’t easy because the weather was difficult. I also had surgery on my arm last year, so was a bit difficult weekend.

“I feel completely different this year. So I will try to stay at the front, I always have fun here at Assen.

“I like the track for my riding style, I think it’s better than Portimao, but you can never be sure.”

Bulega commentated that he is also unsure what the new fuel rule changes mean for overall competitiveness, but his engineers have the best-placed knowledge to provide conclusive results.

Alvaro Bautista compares he and Bulega’s ‘confidence’ levels on the Ducati

Alvaro Bautista praised his 25-year-old teammate for his ability to extract the maximum performance out of the V4 R Panigale.

The two-time champion admitted that work still has to be done to compete with Bulega and BMW rider Toprak Razgatlioglu.

Following a turbulent start to the 2025 season, marked by crashes at Phillip Island and Portimao, Bautista finds himself fourth in the championship standings.

The 40-year-old is still finding his feet after a difficult 2024 season where he racked up only four race wins throughout the season.

“Nicolo’s [Bulega] very strong and he has a lot of confidence with the bike, and he can ride it at its best,” Bautista began.

“The most important is the feeling I have with the bike. I want to keep the feeling I had in Australia and Portimao.

“For me, I feel that I’m closing the gap but we’re not at the top with the feeling. We’re recovering it from two years ago.

“There’s not a big difference in the data, but some places, the big difference is the confidence he has with the bike.

“When we recover that confidence, we can be close and fight with him. It’s a track I’ve been fast at in the past, but every year is totally different.”

Bautista remains focused on optimising his feeling with the Ducati, revealing that results aren’t his main concern at this stage of the season.

“I don’t have any expectations about the results, but it will be nice if I can enjoy this racetrack like in the past. I’m not thinking about my future. Now, I’m recovering my confidence and I feel strong.”

READ MORE – Danilo Petrucci targets Assen WorldSBK podium but expects stiff competition

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Alvaro Bautista assessed his Portimao WorldSBK weekend and compared his “feeling” on the Ducati on the 2024 and 2025 Ducatis.

The two-time WorldSBK champion faced a tough Saturday, qualifying in ninth place and getting caught in the midfield chaos early on, which ultimately led to a crash with his former team-mate, Scott Redding.

Despite the early crash, Bautista bounced back on Sunday to deliver two third places in the Superpole and Race 2.

Uncharacteristically, Bautista opted for the harder tyre compound which played into his hands around the sunny Algarve.

“In the Superpole Race, I missed Saturday’s race so the first few laps were getting confidence. I started to get my pace; I had good battles with other riders,” Bautista reflected to WorldSBK.

“In Race 2, I had a good start and stayed with both Nicolo and Toprak at the beginning. I didn’t have enough to stay with them.

“On Sunday, the pace was much faster, so I think with the pace they had on Saturday, I was able to stay with them, but they increased the pace, and I wasn’t able to follow them.

“I could make a good lap time, but they were even faster! I enjoyed watching their battle, battling, and passing one another.

“The feeling with the bike is much better than last year. Everything is more under control, and I feel the limits more.”

Bautista admits he needs ‘make steps forward’ still

Although he expressed his delight that he was able to extract more out of the bike, he believes that he can take “more steps forward” to contest with the front runners.

After all, Toprak Razgatlioglu and Nicolo Bulega were the two standout performers in Portimao, but Bautista understands that improving his competitiveness on the V4 R is a work in progress.

“I’m looking forward but we need to make some steps forward to stay with them. I’m not worried about that, just with being calm and working well, that day will arrive,” he stated.

“This year, with more experience, I see Nicolo [Bulega] defending a bit better. About Toprak [Razgatlioglu], I know how he battles very well; it was fun to see them but it’s more fun if I can be there!

“If we compare to Nico, Toprak was very strong under braking, but Nico had better exits from corners because he had more corner speed and he’s able to exit from the corners faster.”

READ MORE – Toprak Razgatlioglu ‘only pushing for the win’ following Portimao WorldSBK treble

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Factory Ducati riders Nicolo Bulega and Alvaro Bautista are anticipating stronger competition for this weekend’s WorldSBK round in Portimao.

Both Bulega and Bautista are comfortably sitting in the top two spots in the championship after a strong season opener at Phillip Island.

The former completed his first WorldSBK treble in dominating fashion, while the Spaniard posted two podium finishes and crashed out of the Superpole race.

Both riders suggested that this dominance was a one-off with stronger competition expected throughout the weekend.

“I think Toprak [Razgatlioglu] will be very good because I think it’s his favourite track,” Bulega stated at WorldSBK’s Thursday press conference.

“Also, last year he was very strong here and during the test was the man to beat.”

After all, Razgatlioglu completed an impressive treble at Portimao in 2024, setting a new record for the most consecutive wins with 13 in a row following that weekend.

Fellow two-time champion Bautista made it clear that Ducati’s dominance at the season opener was due to the track suiting both the Panigale and the riders.

The 40-year-old pinpointed his Turkish rival and listed another manufacturer who could spring surprises in Portugal.

“Australia is a special track, especially for Ducati, normally Ducati is very fast there, and we saw that all the Ducati riders can be fast there, but I don’t think that will be normal for all the tracks,” Bautista shared to WorldSBK.

“In the test, we did a few days ago, both BMWs were fast, the Bimotas were fast, it is more of a normal situation. 

“In this round, we will see more the reality of the championship.”

WorldSBK leader Bulega avoided injury following test crash

Despite his dominant start to the 2025 season, Bulega revealed he avoided injury following a high-speed test crash at the mid-March Portimao test.

The 25-year-old mentioned the weather again played its part in proceedings, resulting in limited testing time.

“I feel good,” the Italian admitted.

“We did a test some days ago in Portimao, it was not so nice but not so bad. So, we have to improve for sure.

“I did also a high-speed crash but I’m good so no problem for this and I will try to improve during the weekend.

“The test was bad also for the weather conditions because we were not able to make a plan and follow it for all the test because the weather was quite strange.

“But, fortunately, for this weekend I see the weather and it looks much better, so I hope to have a nice weekend and try to improve every session.”

READ MORE – Ducati ‘have lots of work to do’ ahead of Portimao WorldSBK round

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Alvaro Bautista shared his visible delight with the day’s work after completing Day 1 of the Phillip Island WorldSBK test.

After a difficult 2024 season where the two-time WorldSBK champion picked up only four race wins, the Spaniard has taken another step in rediscovering his form and confidence.

Bautista relied on favourable weather conditions at Phillip Island after suffering a highside crash and having limited testing time due to weather at the Portimao test.

The Spaniard finished fourth and fifth following the two Free Practice sessions as his teammate Nicolo Bulega topped the charts on both occasions.

Despite finishing a second adrift in the second session, the 40-year-old is in a positive frame of mind.

“I’m really happy with the first day at Phillip Island because I started to recover a good feeling with the bike with confidence, he told WorldSBK.

“We worked just a little bit on the bike and the setup for the race, no big change, but all the change we did a step forward so I’m really happy with confidence.

“Also, I have to congratulate to Pirelli because they brought two different tyres from last year we had some problems. This year, in the test we did a lot of laps, good performance [and] no problems so I can say that today has been a positive first day.

“More better than 12 [months ago] but also from the last race in Jerez and the last test. Because today I felt like I rode the bike, not that the bike rode me, so I have more confidence.

“So basically, today I enjoyed the track.”

Bautista’s future beyond 2025 will depend on ‘how the first three or four races go’ – Ducati

Despite the recent struggles on track, Bautista put pen to paper on a one-year extension, meaning his contract expires at the end of 2025.

Ducati team boss Serafino Foti revealed ahead of the week down under that the future of Bautista’s career will depend on the first third of the season.

He believes the key to regaining Bautista’s confidence is to get his season off to the best possible start.

“The important thing is to get off to a good start, because I think if he can do that then he will be able to find the feeling again,” he said to GPOne.

“Since even last year he was very strong in some races like Aragon, where he had an incredible feeling.

“He has not forgotten, but it is clear we have to be the ones to help him find those sensations he had in 2022 and 2023.

“Knowing him, he races because he has fun and to perform, and in my opinion he himself would be the one to say enough if he doesn’t have the performance.

“I don’t think that will happen, though, because Alvaro can still give so much. He looks like a kid even though he is 40 years old.

“I hope to continue with him, but rightly we will see how the first 3 or 4 races go, and then he will be the first to decide his future.”

READ MORE – Alvaro Bautista rues ‘poor’ WorldSBK testing amid highside crash

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