Barni Spark Racing team boss Marco Barnabo reveals that he contacted two-time WorldSBK champion Alvaro Bautista “five minutes” after Danilo Petrucci agreed to join BMW.
The Spaniard’s announced departure from the factory Ducati team left many questions about his future, as rival manufacturers were hesitant to take on the additional ballast required for his bike.
However, he will continue to ride for Ducati in 2026, competing on the new Panigale V4 R with the top-performing satellite team from the 2024 and current 2025 seasons.
When talking to GPOne, Barnabo shared that Bautista was his priority, although he did hold talks with six-time WorldSBK champion Jonathan Rea, who consequently announced his retirement on Monday.
“Danilo called me the Sunday before Balaton to tell me about the possibility he had on the table with BMW.
“Five minutes later, I immediately contacted [Simone] Battistella, because my goal was to bet on Alvaro Bautista, since in my opinion he was the best solution on the market.
“I decided to bet on Bautista for two reasons: first, he’s a rider who has experience on the Ducati, in fact he knows the working method and development, consequently all this facilitates our work within the team.
“In addition, Alvaro is a tireless worker: it may be true that he is over 40 years old, but he trains in an incredible way, he is a great professional, he has won with Ducati and he is still there in front fighting for the top positions.
“Finally, I would also like to add the human side, since he often comes to visit us in our hospitality and there is a great relationship, since we know him very well.”
Barni Spark confirmed it had spoken with Rea but “didn’t want to give him any false hopes” about a possible seat.
However, the Italian marque shared that if Bautista hadn’t agreed to join, it would have “aimed for Rea.”
READ MORE – Barni Spark Racing confirms Alvaro Bautista for 2026 WorldSBK season
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