Aruba.it Ducati WSBK Unveil 2026 Livery – Is This the Bike That Brings Home the Championship?

GP Insired downforce, new swing arm, fuel tank has been moved backward.

WorldSBK was sensational to watch in 2025. Toprak Razgatlıoğlu pulled off an unbelievable season, winning the title on a bike that — in my opinion — wouldn’t have taken the crown in anyone else’s hands. It was a reminder that once in a while, talent really does outweigh machinery.

That said, it was Nicolò Bulega who truly took the fight to him. The head-to-head battles we saw between those two delivered some of the best racing WorldSBK has produced in years — and not without controversy. Bulega’s sophomore season was exceptional, and were it not for Toprak’s heroics, he might well have dominated the championship outright.

His teammate in 2025, former double WorldSBK champion Álvaro Bautista, was allegedly hampered by weight penalties but still showed flashes of front-running pace when conditions aligned. All things considered, the Ducati was clearly the strongest overall package on the grid.

So now, as Aruba.it Racing – Ducati lift the lid on their all-new 2026 machine — a bike that visibly borrows cues from the MotoGP paddock — it’s hard to imagine anyone beating one of the Ducatis to the title. And if you were a betting person, you’d struggle to look past Bulega as the favourite.

What surprises me is how little attention is being paid to his hungry new teammate, Iker Lecuona.

Lecuona is a former Grand Prix rider who showed real flashes of brilliance on a Honda that ultimately failed to deliver consistently. I rate him highly, and on a factory Ducati I genuinely think he could raise a few eyebrows. He’ll know from day one that he may never get a better shot at a WorldSBK title than in 2026 — and that kind of pressure can do one of two things:

• He crashes his brains out

• He wins races

More likely, it’ll be a mix of both.

That’s the reality of stepping into a factory Ducati WorldSBK ride. The expectations are enormous, the spotlight is unforgiving, and the margin for error is razor thin. Of course, these aren’t the only Ducatis on the grid either — there’s no shortage of seasoned riders on red machinery ready to capitalise on any slip-up.

One thing is certain: this new bike looks sensational, showed well in pre-season, and appears every bit the championship weapon Ducati need.

Roll on Round 1.