LECUONA COULD RETURN TO MOTOGP IN 2028 UNDER DUCATI DEAL

Iker Lecuona’s strong first season with Ducati in WorldSBK has reopened the possibility of a MotoGP return, although any move would not come next year. The Spaniard is reported to have a clause in his new two-year Ducati contract that could let him leave after the 2027 season if a Ducati MotoGP team offers him a ride for 2028.

Lecuona, who will be 28 at the start of that season, raced in MotoGP in 2020 and 2021 with Tech3 KTM. He moved to WorldSBK in 2022 after KTM made room for Remy Gardner and Raul Fernandez. Four seasons with Honda followed, including several MotoGP appearances as a stand-in for LCR, before he joined Ducati for 2026.

His debut campaign with the Italian manufacturer has given him a persuasive platform: he won four races, finished runner-up in the championship and reached the podium in 29 of 33 races. He also filled in for Gresini in MotoGP, recording a best result of seventh in Hungary. The contract clause reportedly dates from the deal he signed this summer, after taking his first WorldSBK win at Donington.

For 2027, Lecuona is set to become Aruba.it Racing’s leading rider following Nicolo Bulega’s move to MotoGP with VR46 Ducati. Bulega, the 2026 WorldSBK champion, will be the second reigning champion in as many years to make the switch, after Toprak Razgatlioglu moved up this season following his third title. Lecuona could follow them in 2028, but the opportunity is conditional on a Ducati team wanting to sign him.

That makes his next WorldSBK season important. At 28, he is unlikely to be judged on promise alone; he will need results strong enough to persuade a MotoGP team to choose him over a rising Moto2 rider. Bulega’s own move was uncertain for much of 2026 despite his dominant title campaign, a reminder that success in WorldSBK does not automatically secure a MotoGP seat.

Lecuona will have an experienced benchmark alongside him at Aruba.it in Franco Morbidelli, a MotoGP race winner and 2017 Moto2 champion. Morbidelli has not won a grand prix since 2020 and has recorded three podiums since then, but his presence gives Lecuona a direct comparison with a rider who has competed at the highest level. The reported clause creates a route back to MotoGP; converting it into a real offer will depend on what Lecuona delivers on track.