The four riders who could replace Alvaro Bautista if he leaves Ducati

Ducati have maintained that their wish is to keep Alvaro Bautista for the 2025 WorldSBK campaign.

Bautista then confirmed he wants to stay with the Italian brand last time out in Most.

However, the two sides are reportedly far apart in terms of an agreement, which could mean a split takes place with other interesting options available to Ducati.

Speaking at Most Marco Zambenedetti, Technical Coordinator at Ducati Corse, said: “Alvaro is for sure our first choice, we have won a lot with him, and we are giving him the maximum support that we can. 

"We haven’t stopped working on any area of the bike, it is a continuous improvement, but the most important thing is the dynamics of the bike, and we are working together to try and give him our best. 

"For sure others are most competitive this year, making it more difficult but we will try until the end.”

It's clear that Ducati would like to retain Bautista, but it's also clear that it takes two to finalise an agreement that works for both, something which has not been done yet.

So who could replace Bautista if a split occurs?

Danilo Petrucci

A factory Ducati rider in MotoGP previously, and a rider that's performing very well on Ducati machinery in WorldSBK at present, Petrucci could be a good addition alongside Nicolo Bulega.

Petrucci has huge amounts of experience and has shown that he is still quick enough to contend for big results.

Petrucci recently admitted it would be a 'dream' to become a factory Ducati rider in WorldSBK, after having done so in MotoGP. 

Andrea Iannone

Like Petrucci, Iannone has shown himself to be very strong at times in 2024 as he looks to secure a factory ride in 2025.

Iannone, who was banned from racing for the last four years, has been impressive at times, although consistency has let the Italian down at times.

Nonetheless, Iannone's talent is undoubtedly still there and with a factory bike he could be a very dangerous opponent for the likes of Toprak Razgatlioglu.

Jack Miller

The wildcard on this list is Miller, with the MotoGP rider currently running out of options.

Miller has struggled for much of 2024 with KTM, and while rumours of a switch to Pramac Yamaha or Trackhouse Racing are persisting, no confirmation that he will be staying in MotoGP has been confirmed.

If Joe Roberts secures the final Trackhouse ride and Pramac opt for Miguel Oliveira and a rookie from Moto2, Miller's options could be down to Honda, if they don't sign Joan Mir, but that is very unlikely.

So switching to WorldSBK could quickly become a realistic option for Miller, and with Ducati showing over the last few seasons they can win championships in the hands of Bautista, the Panigale V4 R could give the Australian the chance to be in the mix for wins right away. 

Adrian Huertas

Flying high at the head of the WorldSSP standings, the young Spaniard has been brilliant in 2024.

Similar to Bulega last season, Huertas has shown that he is ready for WorldSBK and Ducati may want to go for another youngster if they believe Bulega is their man to become a title contender going forward.

Huertas has won the last six races, including seven of the last eight as he bids to become world champion in his third full season in Supersport.