Bautista re-signs with Ducati for 2025 WorldSBK

Quelling speculation that he may switch teams or even retire, Alvaro Bautista has re-signed with the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team for the 2025 World Superbike Championship season. The new deal will extend the Spaniard’s time with the factory Ducati WorldSBK team to six years.

“I am thrilled to continue another season with Ducati, with Aruba and with this beautiful team that represents a family to me,” Bautista said. “I feel physically and mentally perfect, and I am sure I can still be very competitive. Furthermore, there is an extraordinary relationship with everyone, from the mechanics to the management, to the sponsors, which is why I am even happier.

“I want to thank Ducati, Aruba, Stefano Cecconi, Daniele Casolari and Serafino Foti for their trust in me. I hope I can repay them by returning to having as much fun on track as we did in the last rounds.”

Bautista made his WorldSBK debut in 2019 with Aruba.it Racing – Ducati and won 12 races in a row, but ultimately lost the championship that year. After two seasons with Honda, Bautista returned to the factory Ducati team in 2022, winning his first World Superbike Championship on the Panigale V4R, then repeating the feat in 2023.

As of Round 8 this year, the 39-year-old from Talavera de la Reina has achieved 61 victories, making him the most successful Ducati rider in WorldSBK history - greater even than Carl Fogarty or Troy Bayliss.

While he dominated the 2022 and 2023 WorldSBK seasons, this year has seen Bautista struggle against BMW’s Toprak Razgatlioglu, who is now a clear championship favourite. Despite this, Aruba.it Racing’s Team Principal, Stefano Cecconi, is confident that sticking with Bautista for 2025 is the right decision.

“I have said many times that our priority was to continue with Alvaro,” Cecconi said. “During the last few races, we have found solutions that have allowed Alvaro to rediscover the sensations that were a bit lacking at the beginning of the year. Now, we must continue on this path to make a grand season finale and close the gap that separates us from the top".