2026 is a season largely of change for Ducati in WorldSBK, and it’s a season that has now been officially launched by the brand’s factory team.

In many ways 2026 marks a change of era for Ducati, which in 2025 was in the final year of the first-generation Panigale V4 R. The updated bike lands this year with a double-sided swingarm and updates the aerodynamics that have largely gone untested in WorldSBK specification thanks to poor weather in the tests last month in Jerez and Portimao.

The other major change for the factory Ducati team this year in WorldSBK is the absence of Alvaro Bautista from the rider line-up and the introduction to the team of Iker Lecuona after four years with Honda for the Spanish rider.

Bautista went winless in 2025, and moved to the satellite Barni team to make space for Lecuona’s arrival, the Spaniard bringing a total of two WorldSBK podiums with him to the factory Ducati team in place of 63-time race winner and two-time champion Bautista.

One notable constant for Ducati in 2026 is the livery of its factory bike, which of course remains red, although the retro-ish white stripes found on the factory MotoGP bike are included as a part of the 100th anniversary celebrations.

The other, more important constant is Nicolo Bulega, the Italian remaining for a third year with the Aruba.it team in WorldSBK as he seeks out his first title in the premier class of production racing.

Bulega may have his eye on a 2027 MotoGP seat and have his attention somewhat pulled by his MotoGP testing role this year, but the Italian remains the clear favourite for the title heading into this year after a 2025 season that saw him win 14 races and finish second only to Toprak Razgatlioglu in the riders’ standings.

Bulega’s charge to an expected title will begin on 20–22 February at Phillip Island. A few days before, on 16–17 February, will be the final test of the preseason – an especially important one thanks to the bad weather in January.