The Barni team must find a rider for next year. With the farewell of Danilo Petrucci, who has opted for BMW, Marco Barnabò's team is already working to find a replacement with a view to 2026.
At Balaton, the boss of the Italian team spoke with Johnny Rea, who has already been in talks with them in recent months. Barni is in no hurry, however, and wants to take his time to figure out the direction to take and later attempt the assault.
For the time being, therefore, the multiple champion is on stand-by, because Barnabò's attention is focused on Iker Lecuona. The Spaniard is a tantalizing profile and at the Balaton weekend there was contact between the two parties.
As we know Iker's contract with Honda is expiring and at the moment a big question mark surrounds his future. His is a profile that appeals, because he is young and has a lot of potential. For his part, Lecuona will have to see what the plans of the Japanese manufacturer are, considering at the same time that BMW is also interested in him as a possible replacement for van der Mark.
Certainly betting on a Panigale V4 would mean going on the safe side, since all the riders with the Rossa have shown that they can fight for the podiums and victories in the last few seasons. Lecuona could therefore prove to be a highly intriguing option.
It thus promises to be an incandescene August on the rider transfer negotiating front.