Bautista to join Ducati in WorldSBK

Spaniard Alvaro Bautista will join Briton Chaz Davies in Ducati’s factory world superbike team in 2019, replacing Italian Marco Melandri as the Bologna company debuts its all-new Panigale V4.

Bautista has been competing in the world championship grand prix paddock since 2002, and was crowned 125cc champion in 2006. From there, he moved up into the 250cc category for three seasons, before making the step into the premier class in 2010.

He has over 150 starts in the MotoGP class on Suzuki, Honda, Aprilia and Ducati machinery, and this year is running 13th in the championship on his Angel Nieto Ducati, just behind Aussie Jack Miller. The next round is in Silverstone this weekend.

“Next season will be a new challenge as I will move from MotoGP after 16 years," said Bautista. "I am so motivated and it will be a new challenge for me, the confidence Ducati put in me is really good.

"I think we can get a good result in WorldSBK and I think we can have fun. I’m looking forward to moving to the WorldSBK championship, I think it is growing and I think we can make some good results.”

Davies will extend his WorldSBK partnership with Ducati that first began in 2014.

“I’ve had a long history with Ducati, this is my fifth season with them,” said Davies. “So it’s really exciting times going forward with the new V4. I think that is going to be an interesting change, it’s a different direction for Ducati, and a really really exciting one.

“I’m excited about the whole project, I love being with Ducati and the Aruba team – we have so many good people – it is like a family.

“We are looked after really well and everyone is always optimistic, it’s a dream situation to have people like that around me as well as having this opportunity to have a fresh bike when signing the new contract.”

Meanwhile, Melandri will now be looking elsewhere to continue his WorldSBK career, with Honda and Aprilia the only factory teams yet to announce their full 2019 line-ups.