Ducati factory team: Aruba pushes for early contract / Superbike World Championship

IT provider Aruba has been the main sponsor and owner of the factory Ducati Superbike team since 2015, this year with riders Alvaro Bautista and Nicolo Bulega at the start. Since 2019, Stefano Cecconi’s company has also been advertising on Ducati with leather suits for MotoGP factory riders.

For the first time in 2022 we saw a Ducati test with reserve rider Michele Pirro in the colors of Aruba during the wildcard matches in the MotoGP World Championship. In the same year, the Aruban team also had its first appearance in the Supersport World Championship. After placing 3rd in the first year, Bulega became champion in 2023; His successor Adrian Huertas took over the leadership of the championship in Assen.

Aruba and Ducati have been working together in the World Superbike Championship for ten years and field a factory team from Borgo Panigale, a suburb of Bologna. Last weekend, Ducati sporting director Mauro Grassilli was in Assen and spoke with team owner Cecconi about extending the contract.

Both sides agree: things should continue together.

“It’s still good to negotiate,” quipped Cecconi in a one-on-one with SPEEDWEEK.com. “This is the most important contract on which everything else depends. Before talking to the drivers or doing anything else, we have to protect our future with the manufacturer. For the next two or three years – at least. For me it is important that all the requirements are clear and verified so that there is no friction.

Aruba and Ducati can look back on ten very successful years: the world championship won in 2022 and 2023 by Alvaro Bautista; In 2015, 2017 and 2018, Chaz Davies became the runner-up, Bautista in 2019 and Scott Redding in 2020.

“The topic of technical development is very important,” Cecconi said. “For me it is important that the manufacturer is fully behind it. And this Ducati is not an important thing, as they are already very committed to the development of the motorcycle and the evolution of the future. However, we must talk about it – I am very sure that this will not be a problem. Fortunately “Unfortunately, we find ourselves in a situation where we need help to overcome the challenges of new laws. As the laws change, adjustments must be made to motorcycles to solve the problems.”

Cecconi wants to extend the contract with Ducati Corse “as soon as possible,” “then I will talk to the riders.”

Defending champion and World Cup leader Alvaro Bautista’s contract expires after this season and the 39-year-old Spaniard will only sign one-year contracts. Ducati has an option for 2025 for Nicolo Bulega, who finished third in the World Championship.