Lecuona, the year of truth: 2026 could change his WorldSBK career

Lecuona knows very well he has a big opportunity riding for the factory Ducati Superbike team: he reiterates he doesn’t want to waste it.

Most of the pressure will be on Nicolò Bulega, as he’s been the SBK world vice-champion for the past two years, but Iker Lecuona certainly can’t take it easy. In 2026 he’ll have to prove he’s a top rider, that he earned the call-up from the Aruba.it Racing Ducati team after four complicated years with Honda that didn’t allow his true potential to be properly understood.

The 26-year-old Spaniard joins one of the best teams on the Superbike grid and rides one of the best bikes, even if the new Panigale V4 R needs development before it can be fully exploited. The very first impressions were positive, although the conditions during the Jerez test weren’t ideal and it’s likely that the next one at Portimão (January 28–29) will see rain disrupt plans as well.

Lecuona was immediately and positively surprised by the Aruba Ducati garage and the Panigale V4; he’s aware he’s in the right place to show his worth and that many colleagues would love to be there: "This bike works incredibly well. The electronics are completely different, the whole bike is different. Now I know it’s time to enjoy riding. I raced a year in MotoGP and then four years for Honda: now I can say I’m in the best team with the best bike. This will be the most important year of my entire career, because everyone wants my seat. I’m very happy and it’s a great pleasure to be in this team."

The years with the HRC team are now behind him, but it’s important that enthusiasm and ambition don’t push the Spanish rider to overdo it. At the handlebars of the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP he racked up many crashes and some injuries, and in the 2026 Superbike World Championship he wants to change tune: "My injuries also came from constantly pushing beyond the limit. Sometimes I got good results, but very often I overdid it and sometimes it ended with a crash and an injury. My goal is to stay calm. I know I have enough potential to win the championship. But for that to happen, many things have to go the right way. I’m ready, I’ve learned a lot in recent years. That’s why I believe this opportunity comes at the perfect time for me."

Iker prepared differently from a mental standpoint; he worked on reining in his exuberance and becoming more pragmatic on race weekends. He has a top-tier team that can fully support him, enabling a clear step up compared to the seasons with Honda.

Lecuona aims to stay calm and have fun—two basic elements that will allow him to be competitive enough: "If I can do that," he explains, "then I’ll be fast. And if I’m fast, I can win races. And whoever wins races can fight for the title. But I don’t need to put pressure on myself; I just need to enjoy riding." It will be interesting to follow the Spaniard’s 2026 season; he couldn’t have asked for a better situation at this stage of his career. He doesn’t want to put pressure on himself, but he’s well aware he needs strong results to remain in the Aruba Ducati WorldSBK garage in 2027 as well.