Alvaro Bautista in Ducati World Superbike talks, but social media reports “fake”

Alvaro Bautista says he has engaged in discussions with Ducati over a new World Superbike deal for 2025, but insists nothing has been signed.

The double world champion has endured a difficult 2024 campaign on the factory Ducati as a result of the series’ combined rider/bike weight limit rules.

Dominant in the last two years, Bautista has slid behind younger team-mate Nicolo Bulega after six rounds in 2024 and speculation has been rife that he may not reach a new agreement with Ducati.

However, on the run up to this weekend’s Portimao round, it is now thought Bautista and Ducati are close to agreeing on a new deal - though the Spaniard has moved to quell these reports.

“Well, if you read on the social media, the comments for everybody, it’s crazy,” Bautista told WorldSBK.com.

“One day I’m already signed. Next day my bike is for ‘this’ rider. The next day we have agreed together. And next day we are not in the same agreement. It’s crazy.

“The reality is we started to speak after Most and we are in negotiations.

“That’s the reality. It’s clear that I want the best for me and Ducati wants the best for them.

“We are not fighting but speaking. So, for the moment, all you see on the social networks is fake. It’s nice to see the people speaking, but it’s not true [that anything is signed].”

He added when asked where negotiations had reached: “Well, at least we spoke a lot. We have not signed, but we are on the way and let’s see.”

All of this follows reports that KTM MotoGP rider Jack Miller - who raced for Ducati between 2018 and 2022 - had been offered a WSBK deal by the Italian manufacturer for 2025.

Earlier on Thursday, Danilo Petrucci confirmed that his preference now is to remain with the Barni Racing Ducati squad in 2025 and hopes to announce his plans soon.

Bautista took a clean sweep of victories at Portimao last year after battling hard with current championship leader Toprak Razgatlioglu.

Having gone without a victory since Barcelona at round two, Bautista doubts a repeat of his Portimao form from one year ago is possible this weekend.

But he does feel like he made a step with his feeling on the bike at Most last time out and hopes to build on that in Portugal.

“Sincerely, after Most, the feeling with the bike improved a lot,” he said.

“And I had the confidence that this weekend can help me to keep up this improvement.

“I’m looking forward to tomorrow to start working on the bike and feel good like in Most and try to arrive to my performance.

“This is the target of this weekend, trying to arrive to the performance we had last year.”