Should Ducati wish, they could equip their WorldSBK satellite teams with world-class riders for 2021 with names like Eugene Laverty, Chaz Davies, Tito Rabat and Randy Krummenacher all looking for something to do next season.

Davies and Krummenacher are World Supersport Champions, Laverty was runner-up twice while Rabat, admittedly a straggler in MotoGP, claimed the Moto2 title in 2014.

There are at least four private or satellite teams wanting to run Panigale machinery in 2021. Barni are closest to the factory and would receive the most help with GoEleven, who ran Laverty in 2019, next on the list.

Brixx, which is a British-based team, ran Sylvain Barrier this year as his father-in-law Barrie Baxter is the boss while Motocorsa will also require a jockey.

The latter two would need financial help from Ducati, or the sponsor money Rabat brings, to secure a rider of this calibre and the technical nouse to go with it to compete in the top six.

Laverty has a direct line to Gigi Dall'Igna after spending a couple of years in MotoGP with the Aspar squad while Davies is an ex-factory rider - although it's unclear how acrimonious his split with the Bologna factory was.

Krummenacher tested for Barni at the beginning of this season just before he departed his MV Agusta seat while Rabat has been linked with the WorldSBK paddock for the last two years. This time, however, it looks much more likely as his seat at Avintia Ducati has gone to Luca Marini by the look of it.