Cecconi on Lecuona signing for 2026: "We’re pretty sure he can achieve good results"
Straight from pit lane, Stefano Cecconi talks about his team’s decision to sign Iker Lecuona to ride alongside Nicolo Bulega in 2026
Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Team Principal Stefano Cecconi opened up during Friday, September 9th’s Free Practice 1 of the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours. One of the biggest stories of the weekend pertained to the Italian Factory team’s marquee rider market move, signing Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) to race in red next season. While the rider won’t be able to hop on the Panigale V4 R until the conclusion of the 2025 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season, Cecconi and the rest of the factory are excited for the arrival of the Spaniard.
Lecuona is currently in his fourth season in the Championship, having joined the paddock in 2022 after three seasons in MotoGP. One of the significant factors that drew the attention of the Ducati factory was that, despite his MotoGP and Moto2 experience, the #7 is only 25 years old. With the departure of Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) to Barni Spark Racing Team, Lecuona will complement the 25-year-old Bulega as a skilled young core that the team can build around, especially considering the inbound reinforcement of Ducati’s new 2026 Panigale V4 R to propel the young pair forward.
On their decision to sign Lecuona, Cecconi said:” We took some time to make a final decision, but our final idea was to have a young lineup and bet on a rider who has strong potential. He hasn't shown all of that potential, but we’re pretty sure he can achieve good results."
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