Confirmed: Iker Lecuona to remain with the Ducati factory team for the 2027 World Superbike Championship

After four lacklustre Superbike seasons with Honda, Iker Lecuona is enjoying the best spell of his career so far in the 2026 Superbike World Championship with Ducati’s factory team. Currently second in the overall standings, the Spaniard is the only challenger to championship leader Nicolò Bulega. In 24 races, the 26-year-old has finished second on the podium 19 times and most recently ended his team-mate’s winning streak in the Superpole race at Donington Park; it was his first Superbike victory.

As Bulega is set to move to MotoGP after this season, Lecuona was in a strong position to become the number one rider in the Ducati works team next year. And so it has come to pass: on Wednesday morning, the Italian manufacturer announced a two-year contract extension.

“I’m really happy. I’ve said many times how much my life has changed since I became part of this wonderful family. So extending my contract with Aruba.it Racing – Ducati is a great source of satisfaction,” said a delighted Lecuona. “I’d like to thank Aruba and Ducati for giving me this new opportunity. It’s brilliant to think about our future together. The most important thing now is to finish this season as well as possible, have fun doing so, continue to improve our performance and, above all, achieve increasingly significant results.”

For Aruba.it Ducati, the contract extension with Lecuona ultimately serves as confirmation of the Spaniard’s signing – a move that was not without controversy a year ago. At the time, Lecuona was injured and had not been any more successful at Honda than his then-team-mate Xavi Vierge.

“We are delighted to continue on this path together with Iker. We believed in his talent right from the start, but what really convinced us was the way he integrated into the group: He adapted to the bike and the team with surprising ease, whilst always bringing the same passion, commitment and team spirit that characterise our pit crew,” commented team principal Stefano Cecconi on the announcement. “The prospect of having two more seasons ahead of us together is fantastic. We still have a long way to go, and we are determined to see it through to the end – with the aim of fighting for the greatest possible success.”