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Xavi Vierge will race a Ducati for the 2027 WorldSBK season, joining the Barni Spark Racing Team to take the Panigale V4 R seat left by two-time champion Alvaro Bautista. The move pairs Vierge with fellow confirmed rider Yari Montella and ends the speculation about his future after Yamaha announced his exit.
Vierge switches to Barni and Ducati
The Barcelona-born rider has signed with the Barni Spark Racing Team for 2027, marking his first season on a Ducati and the third manufacturer of his WorldSBK career after spells with Honda and, most recently, Yamaha.
Xavi Vierge will replace Alvaro Bautista on the team’s Ducati Panigale V4 R, joining a lineup that already includes Yari Montella. Vierge described Barni as the clear choice among other options, saying he is eager to adapt to the bike and work toward the team’s goals.
How this fits into a turbulent year
Yamaha confirmed on September 7 that Vierge would be replaced by Jack Miller, a decision Team Principal Paul Denning called a “huge regret.” Denning praised Vierge’s “raw speed, bravery and technical clarity” while explaining the team’s roster move.
On the track this season Vierge sits 13th in the standings with two rounds left, two points behind PATA Maxus Yamaha teammate Andrea Locatelli. His best results this year were two sixth-place finishes at Portimão and Assen during a difficult campaign for Yamaha.
Barni’s position and the end of the Bautista era
Barni has enjoyed a strong 2026, ranked third in the Teams’ Championship and leading the independent outfits. Ducati machinery has dominated the year, with Nicolò Bulega rewriting records while Yamaha managed a single best result of fifth.
The signing closes Barni’s partnership with Bautista. The team confirmed on Instagram that its arrangement with the two-time champion will end after 2026 and wrote: “Having a two-time World Superbike Champion in our independent team has been an honour and a privilege, pushing us to work even harder and challenge ourselves every day.”
Experience and expectations
Vierge arrives with a solid WorldSBK résumé: 110 starts, four podiums and three poles. He is 12 years younger than Bautista and sits three positions behind him in the current standings.
Team Principal Marco Barnabo said the team and rider “immediately found common ground on our goals and priorities, sharing from the very beginning a clear vision of what we want to achieve together.” That alignment will guide preparations as Barni shifts from a Bautista-led pairing to Vierge and Montella on the Ducati platform.
