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Alvaro Bautista's future is the question that keeps the Superbike paddock in check. Everyone is curious about what the Spanish rider will decide, but Alvaro prefers to wait and take his time.
Right now, the defending champion is forced to chase Toprak's BMW, and the test promises to have a very high difficulty coefficient. The Donington round sent a clear and precise signal to the Aruba rider, who aims to narrow the gap in Most.
But the question that reigns in the paddock is one. What will Alvaro do? Will he stay or will he say good bye?
Bautista definitely has to evaluate the dynamics involved in his decision. The first is his confidence in riding the Ducati that, as we all know, has an extra 6kg of weight compared to last season. This rule just didn't fly well with Alvaro, since it was specifically designed to affect him.
Regarding 2025, however, there should be no particular news on the regulatory front because the current regulations will be maintained. Moreover, should the FIM backtrack, it would mean acknowledging a mistake. At the same time, we don't feel like ruling anything out because, at the beginning of 2023, the proposal regarding the bike+rider weight limit was cancelled while, a year later, it was approved.
This will remain one of the mysteries.
The other point is how much Ducati can guarantee on the development front, in view of 2025. Next year's Panigale V4 will, in fact, remain the same as this year's because the new model won't arrive until 2026. The question still remains regarding the bi-arm swingarm, which could mean a breakthrough on the evolution front.
In all this, they have to deal with an opponent like Toprak who doesn't seem to want to budge. Bautista knows this, and that's why he's going to take as much time as needed before deciding. Therefore, we can't rule out that it may take until August to reach a decision. Then there are those who are just waiting, like Andrea Iannone, one of the candidates for the Spanish rider's bike.
But there is actually one thing that's certain in this long summer soap opera: everything, or almost everything, must change to remain the same. And Alvaro knows this.
