Danilo Petrucci will be replaced by Nicholas Spinelli at the Spanish World Superbike Round this weekend.

This weekend marks the season finale of the 2025 World Superbike Championship, but the Barni Spark Racing Team will field a replacement rider.

Danilo Petrucci will have to watch the final round of the season from the sidelines as he was declared unfit ahead of the Spanish World Superbike Round.

The Italian will be replaced by fellow Italian rider, Nicholas Spinelli, who has raced for the Barni Spark Racing Team in the past at the Dutch World Superbike Round in 2024.

"I'm sorry for Danilo, he was fighting for third place and it's really unfortunate that he's injured right now. I wish Danilo a speedy recovery," Spinelli said.

"I am happy, and I thank the Barni team for calling me. I will take the weekend slowly. Last year at Assen we had variable weather conditions, between rain and dry, and with these conditions, I couldn't fully understand the bike. Now I'm happy to be back working with the Barni team for this race weekend."

Team Principal Marco Barnabo added, "We hoped that Danilo's operation would allow him to get back on track to fight for third place, but unfortunately, it was not possible. We are very sorry for him and for the situation; we would have liked to end the season in a different way.

"With Danilo this year, we did a great job: even without competing in the last two races, he won the title of Best Independent Rider, and together we also won that of Best Independent Team, thanks to the many points he brought. It is the demonstration of his great work and that of the whole team. We wish him a speedy recovery.

"However, we decided not to leave the bike stationary, and to let Nicholas Spinelli take to the track. It will be a complicated challenge: we don't expect the same extraordinary results as last time [the victory in Race 1 at Assen 2024], because getting on the bike at the end of the Championship, when the other riders are already at their best, is not easy."