Alvaro Bautista says he is aiming to repeat Jorge Martin’s 2024 MotoGP achievement in the 2026 WorldSBK season.
Martin’s 2025 MotoGP might have been an utter disaster, but the 2024 season that saw him crowned champion made him the first rider in the four-stroke era of grand prix motorcycle racing’s premier class to win the title on a satellite team.
It’s this which Bautista is hoping to repeat in the 2026 WorldSBK season, when he will ride for a satellite team for the first time in the production derivative series, having been dropped by the factory Ducati team in favour of Iker Lecuona for next season.
Speaking to WorldSBK.com at EICMA, Bautista revealed that after signing for Barni his immediate thoughts went to repeating Martin’s 2024 MotoGP feat: “The first thing I thought when I signed with Barni, after having all the support from Ducati, I thought ‘Okay, Martin won the MotoGP that I think is even harder, why not to win a title with Barni?’
“I always say that everything happens for [a] reason and maybe [...] if I win the title it’s even more important to do it in a satellite team. Let’s see.
“At the moment, there is a lot of work to do because also the new bike has a lot of work ahead in the project, so let’s see.
“But for sure it’s one point of motivation to win races and also to fight for the title with Barni.”
Although Bautista is dreaming of fighting for the title in 2026, he says he has no concrete expectations considering how much will be new for him.
“I prefer to not have any expectation or any goal because there will be many things new: the bike, the team, the people who I work with,” he said.
“So, about the result it’s impossible to make a goal, also because many riders are coming to the category, other riders changed manufacturers. So, basically, to make a goal or to decide a goal right now is almost impossible.
“So, for me, the important thing is to enjoy the process, the work with the new team, try to work with the new people, try to learn about the way of working in another team, try to develop the bike, try to find as soon as possible the way to ride this new bike.
“After that, let’s see how is going the things and let’s see the result. But, at the moment, I don’t have any goal in my mind.”
