Alvaro Bautista has renewed his opposition to WorldSBK’s minimum-weight rule just as Nicolo Bulega closes in on a record held by the Spaniard. Bulega has won 26 races in the 2026 season, with nine still remaining. He therefore needs two more victories to move beyond Bautista’s 27-win total from 2023.

Bautista won 27 of the 36 races in 2023, a single-season record that still stands in the championship. The minimum-weight rule has been applied since 2024 and requires riders below 80 kg, including all their equipment, to carry additional ballast. Bautista is described as the smallest and lightest rider in WorldSBK, leaving him more heavily affected by the requirement than his rivals.

His latest response came in a photograph of his water bottle, marked with the messages “no discrimination” and “no combined weight”. The gesture followed discussion of Bulega’s chance to take the record, but its target was the regulation rather than Bulega personally.

Bulega had beaten Bautista for two consecutive seasons after previously sharing the factory Ducati team with him, and he is racing for Barni Ducati in 2026. Bautista, meanwhile, has yet to claim a dry-weather podium this season. Bulega’s move to MotoGP for 2027 has also been confirmed.

Bautista rates Bulega as a highly talented rider with considerable potential. He also sees a practical advantage in the Italian’s preparation: Bulega has completed more kilometres than the rest on the new 850cc motorcycle, with the new specification and tyres. Bautista expects him to be fast and highly competitive in MotoGP, while stopping short of predicting that he will win every race as he has during the 2026 season.