Alvaro Bautista to test Ducati MotoGP bike, will he race?

Bautista helped make history for Ducati last season when the factory won both the World Superbike and MotoGP titles (Francesco Bagnaia) for the first time.

As a reward for his SBK achievements, the 38-year-old - who was a full-time MotoGP rider from 2010-2018 with Suzuki, Gresini Honda, Aprilia and Aspar Ducati - confirmed that he will try the title-winning Desmosedici “before the summer break”.

“I asked Ducati to have a MotoGP test, but like a prize after winning the Championship last year. For sure, we will do it. I don’t know exactly when, but it will be very soon, before the summer break,” Bautista said.

Playing down rumours of a possible MotoGP wild-card entry, the Spaniard added: “There is no intention in our mind, just to do the test and enjoy the bike.

"What I see on TV, many riders can go fast with that bike so I’m curious to ride the bike. It’s five years since I rode a MotoGP bike and to remember the feeling of riding the MotoGP bike.”

Nevertheless, should the test go well, with Bautista's World Superbike season ending in Argentina on October 15, there would still be five MotoGP rounds remaining in which to make a popular Troy Bayliss-style comeback.

Bayliss made a victorious return to MotoGP, as the reigning WorldSBK champion, in a one-off ride for Ducati at Valencia 2006 (pictured), qualifying second on the grid and leading from start to finish.

Bautista, like Bayliss, did not win a MotoGP race during his full-time grand prix career - the former 125cc world champion and 250cc runner-up standing on the podium just three times in the premier class.

The 2023 Valencia MotoGP finale will be held on November 24-26.

Ducati currently leads both the MotoGP and WorldSBK standings with Bagnaia and Bautista, the latter having lost just one of the nine Superbike races so far this season, heading into his home Barcelona round this weekend.