Bautista Dropped; Redding Added to Ducati WorldSBK Team

2020 Aruba.it Racing Ducati Team Lineup

Former MotoGP pilot Alvaro Bautista impressed when he joined the Aruba.it Racing Ducati Team for the 2019 World Superbike Championship.

So far in 2019 WorldSBK, the Spaniard has won 14 races. He is second overall in the WSBK Championship with four rounds remaining, 81 points behind the series leader, Kawasaki’s Jonathan Rea.

Bautista’s one-year contract with Ducati ends at the conclusion of the 2019 season, and there are rumors of him joining the Honda squad. What we do know is he won’t be with Ducati. The Bologna manufacturer confirmed Thursday that current British Superbike pilot Scott Redding will join the factory Ducati SBK team.

Redding will join Chaz Davies for 2020 World Superbike, and will pilot the Panigale V4 R. The 26-year-old British rider from Quedgeley (Gloucestershire) has impressed so far in 2019 BSB; he claimed six wins and five pole positions and is in second place in the overall standings with the Be Wiser Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R.

Redding spent five years in MotoGP on satellite teams, and one year in BSB.

Redding will join up with the already confirmed Chaz Davies, who next year will begin his seventh successive season on a Ducati, and form an all British team.

“I’m so happy to join the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team, which is something that I’ve wanted for a long time, because to be able to work with a team that can fight for a world title is really a great opportunity for me,” Scott Redding says.

“Obviously now I have to remain fully focussed on the British Superbike Championship, because I want to try and win that title with the Be Wiser Ducati before stepping back up to a world championship again. A big thanks to all those people who have helped to make this dream happen, and now I can’t wait to get on the factory Panigale V4 R bike in the World Superbike Championship.”

Stefano Cecconi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Team Principal), says “It is with great pleasure that we welcome Scott into our team. Despite being a rookie in BSB, on his first experience with the Panigale V4 R and with numerous tracks he has never seen before, Scott has proved to be fast right out of the box and to be able to aim straight for the title.

“For this reason, we have been following him with interest and we were impressed with his form even before having to look for a team-mate for Chaz in the coming seasons. With his determination and experience, I’m convinced he will be quick right from the start, even on a WSBK-spec bike.

“I wish to fondly bid goodbye to Álvaro and thank him for the incredible emotions that he has given us this year, he will surely be a difficult adversary to beat! Now however we must focus on the current season: we no longer have an advantage, but the world title battle is still open and we will give our maximum commitment to conclude our collaboration in the best possible way.”