After the Ducati confirmed Jorge Lorenzo’s absence at Phillip Island, they began to think about the spaniard’s replacement for the upcoming race. For that, it would be of the utmost importance to put someone who knows Desmosedici well and few men can manage to take the italian motorcycle to the limit (or even close to it).

In that sense, the Ducati announced that it will put Álvaro Bautista in Lorenzo’s GP18 before Ángel Nieto Team rider to make the jump to the World Superbike with the factory of Borgo Panigale.