Special Alvaro Bautista press conference scheduled - will he stay or retire?

The current WorldSBK champion, who has won eight of the first nine races this season, is the clear favourite to claim a third hat-trick of the year this weekend.

Bautista won all three races in Catalunya last season, and given the level of dominance he’s already shown so far in 2023, making it six out of the last six in his home country looks like a safe bet at the moment. 

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The likes of Jonathan Rea and Toprak Razgatlioglu will be expected to challenge the Spaniard, but the main issue with beating Bautista has been staying close to him late on in races. 

However, before racing gets underway this weekend, there’s the not so small matter of Bautista’s future being decided.

Speaking ahead of Assen two weeks ago, Bautista said: "Before the season started, I said that after the third [round] I will take a decision [for 2024].

"We have had three rounds, and now have one and half weeks at home - with my family, with my daughter, and I will ask them their opinion.

"Because now my daughter starts to be bigger and understands that: Daddy is out, Daddy is travelling, Daddy is not at home... So it’s not easy!

"I’m really happy with my performance right now in my professional life, but also the personal [life] is becoming more special and more important.

"Let’s see. Now we have a couple of days to think about it and try to take a decision for me, for my family, and also for the team as soon as possible."

Ducati have since confirmed a press conference will be held on Thursday, which is sure to address Bautista’s future.

Remaining with Ducati, which some believe is the most likely scenario, would mean Bautista could be challenging for a third consecutive title should he go on to win the championship in 2023. 

But if Bautista does retire, then what next for Ducati? Michael Ruben Rinaldi could inherit the role of team leader, although the Italian remains inconsistent and does not appear to have the level required to beat the likes of Razgatlioglu or Rea at present.

Axel Bassani could also be promoted to the team alongside Rinaldi or another rider, however, it’s likely that Ducati could be in the market for a big name to come and lead the team.

In terms of WorldSBK riders, Razgatlioglu is the clear favourite based on talent and results in recent seasons. The Turkish star is still in the mix for a move to Yamaha in MotoGP, remaining with Yamaha in WorldSBK, or even moving to another manufacturer if rumours are to be believed.

There has been talk of BMW and Honda approaching Razgatlioglu’s manager Kenan Sofuoglu, although both manufacturers remain less competitive than the likes of Ducati, Yamaha and Kawasaki which doesn’t look great for their chances of securing Razgatlioglu.

A rider who has vast amounts of experience, great results in MotoGP and is a name that would signal intent from Ducati’s point of view is Johann Zarco.

The Pramac Ducati rider is under contract until the end of the season, and while the Frenchman could remain with the team, there’s the possibility that his time with Ducati could come to an end in MotoGP, meaning a switch to WorldSBK could be of interest.

The Aruba.it Ducati team is one of the best on the grid, plus the Panigale V4 R is arguably the best package on the grid, two things that could entice someone like Zarco if options to remain in MotoGP were limited.