Believe it or not, we’re already but a few hours away from reaching June, and that means that motorcycle racing’s ‘silly season’ is moving through the gears, quietly approaching full speed. It will still be a couple of months before the missing pieces of the 2020 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship grid start falling into place, but the backroom battles are well underway.

With rumours flying around in every direction, some squad leaders are eager to rid their riders and staff from uncertainty as soon as humanely possible. Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was one of the first new faces confirmed for the 2019 championship and it comes as no surprise that his future is one of the big topics on the table now, considering his blitzing arrival on the WorldSBK scene.

Speaking with Motorsport.com, Paolo Ciabatti (Ducati Corse Sporting Director) would seem to have a clear plan for the 2020 campaign and Álvaro Bautista: “The plan is to renew Álvaro’s contract, should he wish to continue with us. We will start to think about our line-up for WorldSBK and MotoGP™ after Mugello and Montmeló. But it’s obvious that Álvaro is a very important part of our project, considering what he has done. It doesn’t make sense not to continue with him in WorldSBK, there’s no reason not to”.

The team leader adds a few details about where negotiations may be heading: “It’s still early to talk about contract length and any firm details, but we would be delighted to offer him a two-year renewal. He is very happy, and people are happy with him. Also, he’s a very positive rider, always with a smile on his face. He is a good public face for Ducati”.

With Bautista first in the championship standings after a record-breaking arrival and Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) rapidly getting up to speed with the Ducati V4 R, the near future looks bright for the Borgo Panigale squad.

Follow the Acerbis Spanish Round from June 7^th-9^th thanks to WorldSBK VideoPass!