The WorldSBK championship may be on a summer break, the rider market is as active as ever. In addition to the retirement of World Superbike legend Jonathan Rea, news came today that Iker Lecuona is to leave Honda and replace Alvaro Bautista in the Aruba.it Ducati team.
That Bautista was out at the factory Ducati squad was common knowledge, and it is widely known that Honda are looking to replace one or both of their riders in their WorldSBK team. With Nicolo Bulega now a consistent title challenger, and Bautista struggling with the weight penalty added as part of WorldSBK’s performance balancing rules, Ducati were looking for a rider who could try to match Bulega’s potential. Lecuona has shown he has the speed, and Ducati are hoping to see that on board what is clearly the best bike on the WorldSBK grid.
