The Bathams AJN team has confirmed a change of bike for the 2026 BSB season, as well as the retention of Storm Stacey.
Stacey joined the Bathams team last year, taking a best result of fourth in his first year aboard the BMW. He was also the top BMW rider in the BSB standings at the end of the season, finishing 10th.
However, the Bathams team has opted for a change of machinery in 2026 and will run a Ducati Panigale V4 R for Stacey, joining Nitrous Competitions in making the switch to the Italian bike this winter.
For Stacey, the change of bike was a key reason to stay put at Bathams this year, along with the impression the team itself made on him last season.
“2025 was mega for me and being able to race further towards the front of the field in the top five regularly was such a boost for me,” said Stacey.
“The team was new to me, but I can’t fault their effort and the atmosphere, so staying with them for 2026 was a pretty easy decision, especially with the switch to Ducati happening, too.
“At the time of this press release, the bike is 98 per cent built and ready to test, so you can imagine just how keen I am to throw a leg over it and see what the fuss is all about, which will be very soon.”
Team owner Michael Rutter added: “Well, if 2025 was a big jump for the team, 2026 is already making that look like a piece of cake. Switching manufacturers and building our bike from a road bike has been a mammoth task, but I truly believe it will be worth it.
“Along with Storm [Stacey] and everyone else in the team, including the sponsors, we felt that in order to move forward from where we got to in 2025, we needed to change the bike.
“Obviously, we considered all options, but the fact that the Ducati is the only superbike to have been upgraded and developed in recent times is what swayed us onto it. Also, there is a long history between me, my dad and Ducati which is a really nice bonus.
“Looking ahead to the 2026 season, the one thing I learned last year was that it’s impossible to know what to expect. I would never have predicted the results we managed last year, not even close, so I’m not about to make any predictions for the Storm and Ducati combination.
“All I can say is that on paper at least, we should be able to make a step forward from where we were last year, plus as a team we learned a massive amount which will also count for something this year.
“Like a lot of people, I’m extremely keen to get Storm onto the bike as soon as we can and start getting all our heads around it. One thing is for sure; it’s not going to be dull.”
