The last image we have of him on the track dates back to Sunday morning at Balaton, when he was deemed unfit at the medical center following his accident on Saturday in Race 1. After joining in the ritual greetings with the team and the hospitality guys he then left the circuit to return home early.
In recent weeks, however, we've seen Andrea on social media sharing shots of his summer vacation in Sicily with his partner, Elodie, manager Gelete, and Diletta Leotta and friends. He definitely enjoyed his well-deserved summer break while waiting to get back on track in just over a week at Magny-Cours, when the World Championship will start again.
Right now, he's one of the names on the market, because there's still a big question mark hovering over his 2026. Certainly, whìle he was on vacation, those who look after his interests (his dad, Regalino, and Gelete Nieto, his manager) weren't just idling away their days but were taking into consideration the various options in the field.
They all hope that Andrea will be at starting blocks of the World SBK in 2026 as well. However, Andrea and his entourage have always been very clear on the subject: "We'd definitely like to continue, but with an ambitious project that's worth it." At the moment, the market offers very little because The Maniac doesn't fit into the plans of BMW and Yamaha.
Consequently, the priority is to continue with the bike he knows best, which is the Ducati, despite the fact that his roads with Go Eleven are destined to split at the end of the season. This is precisely why talks are being held with the Borgo Panigale manufacturer to understand what the possibilities of creating an ad hoc structure is, so that he can be present at the start of the 2026 World Championship.
Obviously, there are quite a few obstacles in the way, starting with the timing in requesting the material, the human resources to make use of but, above all, the financial aspect because, with the arrival of the new bike in 2026, the teams will have to deal with an increase in costs of around 20% compared to this year. Creating a kind of "homemade team" let's say, could represent a chance for Andrea to continue racing next season, although it' a far from simple accomplishment.
At the same time, should there be no margin, the decision to retire would become inevitable. Andrea is already prepared for this scenario and, in some ways, as he also stated: "The same way I came back, I can stay home."
The truth, and what will happen between now and the next few weeks, only Andrea and his close circle of people around him know. The fact remains that, in his own small way, The Maniac already won his personal challenge last year, when he returned to the track and proved again that he's a rider capable of winning after a long four-year hiatus, and then disputing the wildcard at Sepang, where it all began.
So, now, he either has to write a new chapter or simply put a period, followed by the word END, to it. That will all depend on Andrea, on what he wants, on what he really feels inside and on what he still feels towards that world of racing that has given and, at the same time, has taken away so much from him in these past years.
His pen, his pulse, will tell us whether we've reached the conclusion of this long story or if it's just the right time to turn the page and start the next chapter.