Alvaro Bautista’s sporting future: what he can really envisage

Since joining the Superbike World Championship for the 2019 season, Alvaro Bautista has been one of its defining figures. The wiry Spaniard from Talavera de la Reina in the province of Castile became 125cc World Champion in 2006, was runner-up in the 250cc World Championship two years later, and competed in MotoGP from 2010 to 2018. In Superbike, he has won 63 of his 267 races to date and has stood on the podium 129 times. In 2022 and 2023, the rider – who will turn 42 at the end of November – was champion; in 2019 he was runner-up; and in 2024 and 2025 he finished third in the World Championship.

Despite all these successes, Bautista’s career is drawing to a close. Since the introduction of the minimum combined weight of rider and bike for the 2024 season – effectively an ‘anti-Bautista’ rule, as it has no significant impact on any other rider – the man with start number 19 has been at a disadvantage. In 2024 and 2025, he still managed to finish third in the World Championship with the Ducati factory team, but with two rounds remaining in the 2026 season, Bautista is currently only tenth in the overall standings. Six other Ducati riders are ahead of him, including his Barni team-mate Yari Montella, who is having a strong season and is currently third with 14 podium finishes.

Bautista’s downward trend has meant that he is currently without a ride for 2027. He has to hand over his seat at Barni to Xavi Vierge, and he cannot secure a place with any of this year’s other teams.

ZX Moto boss fuelled the rumours

For weeks, rumours have been circulating online that Bautista is set to sign for the Chinese manufacturer ZX Moto and become a test rider there. This rumour was fuelled by statements from the company’s founder, Zhang Xue, who said he was working on a Superbike. However, firstly, such a motorbike will not be competing in the 2027 Superbike World Championship and, secondly , the Chinese entrepreneur is referring to a five-cylinder engine, which, according to current regulations, is not permitted at all.

ZX Moto plant ein V5-Superbike

Foto: ZX Moto

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Furthermore, a role as a test rider alone does not meet Bautista’s expectations. “He is determined to compete in races,” his manager Simone Battistella emphasised to SPEEDWEEK.com. “I’ll only see an opportunity once Chinese companies enter the championship.”

CF Moto’s plans are at an advanced stage

Whilst ZX Moto’s Superbike plans remain a distant prospect, CF Moto already has a concrete plan in place. CF is working closely with Jorge ‘Aspar’ Martinez’s team in the MotoGP paddock; at the end of September, Moto2 riders David Alonso and Daniel Holgado were given the chance to test the V4 SR-RR Superbike. Both young riders will be competing in MotoGP from 2027.

Preparations for CF Moto’s entry into the World Superbike Championship have been underway for several years. The season opener in February 2027 at Phillip Island in Australia would be too early, as would the European season opener at the end of March in Portimão. However, promoter Liberty has held out the prospect to CF Moto of being able to join the championship during the season, provided there is a commitment to the championship. It is also conceivable that the team will only make wildcard appearances next year.

CF Moto: Two strong pillars in Europe

Modena 40, CF Moto’s European research and development centre, is responsible for the design of the V4 SR-RR. It is based in Rimini and was founded in 2016 by Carles Solsona, a former motocross rider, Ducati employee and, as he describes himself, an “innovation fanatic”. The Catalan oversees the development of new products and strategies for CF Moto and works in close collaboration with the head office in Hangzhou.

With the Aspar team in Spain and M40 in Italy, CF Moto already has two solid pillars in European motorsport with excellent contacts. All that’s missing now is a fast test and development rider. SPEEDWEEK.com has learnt that this would be an interesting role for Alvaro Bautista, provided he is offered the prospect of race starts for 2027. With nine years in MotoGP and eight in the World Superbike Championship, the evergreen rider possesses a level of expertise that few others can match, particularly when it comes to V4 engines. And something hardly anyone remembers: Alvaro achieved his greatest successes in the 125cc and 250cc classes (16 Grand Prix victories) with Aspar.

CF Moto arbeitet kräftig an seinem Superbike

Foto: cfmoto

At the heart of the 180 kg CF Moto lies a V4 engine. The 997 cc power unit, with a 90-degree cylinder angle, features a counter-rotating crankshaft. The maximum revs are stated as 15,000 rpm and the engine power as 157 kW/210 PS. A striking feature is the inclusion of active winglets as standard, which means they are homologated and may therefore be used in racing. A high-speed test attracted a great deal of attention in the summer, during which the CF Moto was clocked at 315.82 km/h – figures on a par with those of a Ducati Panigale V4R.