Transfer talks continue: Álvaro Bautista is OUT at Ducati for next season. Here’s the Spanish rider’s statement.
The partnership between Ducati and Álvaro Bautista has come to an end. Despite a strong start to the current season, the Emilia-based manufacturer has withdrawn its confidence in the #19 rider. The relationship, which began in 2019 with Bautista’s debut in the WorldSBK championship and resumed in 2022, has now reached its conclusion.
Bautista and Aruba.it Racing have together won two championships and claimed numerous victories. Even though the 40-year-old rider has stood on the podium nine times so far this season, Ducati has decided to terminate the contract.
The decision may stem from Ducati’s desire to pair Nicolò Bulega with a younger rider to invest in for the future. Looking ahead, if Bulega were to make the jump to MotoGP in 2027, the Ducati factory team would be forced to replace both of its riders in the same year (Bautista’s contract was originally set to run until the end of the 2026 season).
Álvaro Bautista’s words
The news became official today through a statement by the rider himself, who said: “As I mentioned in Most, I intend to keep racing because I feel good. I feel physically and mentally ready, strong enough to fight for good results. I had signed with Ducati for 2025 and 2026, with an option for both parties to end the contract.
On my end, I told the team I was happy and wanted to continue, because despite the new regulations, we’ve been working well and achieving solid performance. But Ducati decided not to accept the terms we had agreed on, and so they terminated the agreement.”
Bautista went on to say: “I feel good and competitive on the bike, and my goal is still to keep racing. For next year, I’m a free agent. Right now, I’m a Ducati rider and I want to give my best; I want to do well this weekend, which is our home race.”
Photo: Alvaro Bautista