P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Barni Ducati explain process of signing 2026 rider
The Barni Ducati team admitted that turning down Jonathan Rea was challenging. Despite discussing the vacancy with Rea for the 2026 season, they ultimately signed Alvaro Bautista, leading Rea to decide to retire. Team manager Marco Barnabo expressed pride in top riders being interested in their bikes but found it hard to refuse someone like Rea.
The vacancy opened up when Danilo Petrucci left to replace Toprak Razgatlioglu at BMW, making Bautista the top choice for Barni. Barnabo had initially planned to continue with Petrucci but changed plans due to BMW’s offer. They completed the paperwork quickly and Bautista was on the track with the new bike the following day.
Iker Lecuona will take Bautista’s place at Aruba.it Ducati, as Barni preferred a veteran rider over a younger one. Despite considering Rea and Lecuona, they leaned towards Bautista, especially since Rea had never ridden a Ducati before. Andrea Iannone also showed interest but once the possibility of signing Bautista became a reality, they focused on that direction.
