Alvaro Bautista has left Ducati – according to his manager. Scott Redding’s WSB move is between Ducati and BMW, apparently…

It’s only a small comment made by Bautista’s manager, Simone Battistella, to Corse Di Moto in Italy, but it has big implications for the immediate future of BSB Ducati rider Scott Redding. Alvaro Bautista looks to be out of Ducati and into Honda for the next two years.

Speaking to Corse Di Moto, Battistella, above, said: “I can confirm that with Ducati we do not proceed.”

Corse Di Moto says that it spoke to Scott Redding’s management last Thursday (August 8) about the future for the Brit and when it did, Redding’s future wasn’t then set because on top of an offer from Ducati there was another offer from BMW.

Battistella added: ” We have not found an agreement with Ducati, for the moment there is no signature. Both they and us are talking to other structures. In the coming days the ideas will be clearer.”

Strangely, even through Battistella is being so final about the negotiations with Ducati on one hand, he seems to be leaving the door open with the other, saying: “As long as there is no signature there is always a margin with these things. There is a great relationship between Ducati and Alvaro, but right now I see it difficult to find an agreement. 

“Technically there are no problems, but to say that these are only economic conditions would be wrong. We say that there are no general conditions.”

So if this is the end of Bautista with Ducati, and he is going to end up on the Honda – then it’s going to be the re-vamped ‘Super Honda’ with a new chassis, more power and very high-end suspension, electronics and brakes that the Japanese factory in believed to be working on ahead of next year’s racing. That bike will be virtually all-new and will require a lot of developing to get up to the outright race pace of the Ducati and Kawasaki bikes.

Battistella talked about the Honda deal too, saying: “Alvaro is not afraid of challenges, he has accepted them both in MotoGP and in SBK. When a project starts it is very heavy and purposeful, so it has no fear.

“There is a lot of work to do, it has been a season with two completely different colors and we need to find a solution to be as competitive as it was at the start of the season. This year with Ducati we have done extraordinary things, so we must conclude with a flourish.”