SBK, Lecuona makes a fresh start with Ducati: intense training to challenge Bulega in 2026

Lecuona has a big opportunity with Aruba Ducati and doesn’t want to waste it: he’s training flat-out for the 2026 Superbike season.

One of the most anticipated novelties of the next SBK World Championship is certainly the arrival of Iker Lecuona to replace Alvaro Bautista in the Aruba.it Racing Ducati team. One Spaniard out, who’s moved to the Barni Spark garage, another one in. The decision was made to bet on the 26-year-old from Valencia, coming off four complicated years with Honda. He showed flashes of speed, but with the CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP he collected several crashes and injuries. Only 2 podiums, though HRC managed 3 in total over the four-year span with him and Xavi Vierge. Now the potential will be different and it needs to be exploited.

Lecuona has already debuted on the new Panigale V4 R during the test at Jerez held in October, finishing eight tenths behind his teammate Nicolò Bulega. Those were his first kilometers on the Bologna-built machine, a shakedown ahead of the 2026 SBK pre-season which will kick off with the Jerez test on January 21–22, then move on to Portimao (January 28–29) and finally Phillip Island (February 16–17).

In recent days, Iker has been training on track in Spain with a road-going Ducati. He lapped at Valencia and Almeria. He’s in good physical shape and has recovered from the fracture of the distal left forearm suffered after the incident caused by Andrea Iannone in Superbike Race 1 at Balaton Park. He returned in time to contest the final two rounds at Estoril and Jerez, but he wasn’t at 100% physically. Now he’s back to full fitness, ready to take on an important challenge in his WorldSBK career.

With the Aruba.it Racing Ducati team he will have the chance to consistently fight at the front, proving that in recent years it was the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP that was holding him back and masking his true value. It won’t be easy to match Bulega, now in his third year with the squad and coming off two seasons as Superbike world vice-champion, but that’s his target and he doesn’t want to fall short.

Worth noting: on Tuesday, February 3 at 6:00 PM there will be the Aruba.it Racing Ducati team presentation at the Aruba Auditorium in Ponte San Pietro (Bergamo).