At long last the protracted Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) silly season intrigue is put to bed as the Spaniard has reached an agreement to join the Barni Spark Racing Team in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. The 40-year-old rider will move from factory to Independent Ducati machinery after riding with the factory team for the past four seasons, an era in which the #19 enjoyed some of the best racing of his career up to this point including his back-to-back World Championships in 2022 and 2023.

BREAKING ONTO THE SCENE: Early days and MotoGP 125cc successes

Bautista got his start in the Spanish Superbike 125cc championship back in 2001, and by the subsequent 2002 season he had landed a spot on the European Road Racing 125cc championship as well as the Moto 125cc class racing with the Atletico de Madrid Racing team. 2002 saw his first podium in the Euro 125cc class as well as his first race wins in the Spanish Championship. 2003-2006 Bautista won his first national silverware as in 2003 he was crowned Spanish 125cc Champion. In 2006 he was again heralded as Champion, this time in the 125cc category thanks to his 8 wins, 14 podium season with MVA Aspar Team.

ESTABLISHING HIMSELF: 250cc and MotoGP debut

Staying with his Aspar Racing Team, the #19 moved up to the Moto 250cc category in 2007, quickly acclimating as he won a pair of races, and earned seven podiums to land fourth place overall in his first season in the 250cc championship. Continuing to perform at a high level in 2008 and 2009, Bautista placed second in 2008, and fourth in 2009, placements high enough to attract Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Team to offer the 23-year-old Bautista a spot on the 2009 MotoGP grid. In his first two seasons in MotoGP, he and his Suzuki machinery landed a pair of P13 finishes in his first two seasons. A move to Honda machinery came in 2013and he finished fifth in his first season, before backing that up with sixth and then 11^th. Remaining with Team Gresini who switched to Aprilia for 2015 and 2016, with the Spanish star finishing 16^th and then 12^th. For 2017 and the remainder of his MotoGP career, Bautista was on Ducati machinery although never scored a rostrum for the Italian brand.

THE WORLD SUPERBIKE SWITCH: becoming a two-time WorldSBK Champion

For 2019, Bautista switched paddocks and joined WorldSBK with the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati squad. He got off to a flying start with 11 race wins in a row, but his Championship challenge unraveled after a series of crashes. He eventually finished runner-up to Kawasaki’s Jonathan Rea. For 2020, Bautista joined Honda for two seasons as a factory rider for the Japanese brand, securing three rostrums, before a sensational move back to Ducati for 2022 – a move which paid off for rider and manufacturer. 16 wins and 31 podiums handed him the title, which he then defended in 2023 with 27 wins and 31 podiums. He was third in 2024 with four wins while he currently sits fifth in this year’s Championship. With 63 wins for Ducati in total, he is their most successful rider in terms of victories, while he’s also amassed 117 podiums for the Bologna-based manufacturer. Despite being a regular podium contender, his place will be taken by Iker Lecuona in 2026 and Bautista has had to seek a new home: the Barni Spark Racing Team, alongside Yari Montella.

BAUTISTA ON HIS MOVE: “I want to prove that I can still win”

Discussing his switch to the Barni Spark Racing Team, in place of Danilo Petrucci, Bautista said: “I want to thank Barni for the trust and interest he has shown in me. 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."

THE TEAM’S VIEW: “Alvaro is still proving his worth today and we are certain he can give us a fundamental contribution to continue growing”

Team Principal Marco Barnabo added: “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.”

Watch the final four rounds of the 2025 WorldSBK campaign using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now half price!