Iker Lecuona has voiced criticism regarding the WorldSBK rule changes scheduled for the 2027 season. The factory Ducati rider stated the new regulations are ‘not fair’ and are designed to penalise Ducati for its performance.
Lecuona believes the adjustments aim to curb Ducati’s dominance rather than genuinely assist other manufacturers.
The 2027 season will see Michelin replace Pirelli as the exclusive official tyre supplier for WorldSBK, WorldSSP, and WorldSPB categories. This five-year agreement marks Michelin’s return after more than two decades.
Michelin will not provide qualifying tyres, a staple of the Pirelli era since 2004.
Intermediate tyres will also be absent from the Michelin range, requiring riders to select between full dry and full wet compounds.
Technical regulations for 2027 include the introduction of manufacturer-specific rev limits. These limits will be adjustable in 500 rpm increments, both upwards and downwards, after every two rounds.
Initial rev limits will be based on each manufacturer’s engine operating speeds.
Fuel flow controls will continue to operate in conjunction with these new rev limits.
Additionally, WorldSBK will implement a single appointed fuel supplier for 2027, with fuel adhering to FIM Fuel Category 1 requirements.
The maximum noise limit will also be reduced by 3 dB, from 115 dB to 112 dB, starting in 2027.
These changes follow a period of significant dominance by Ducati in the 2026 WorldSBK season.
Nicolo Bulega secured the 2026 WorldSBK championship at Cremona with six races remaining.
Bulega has achieved 26 victories from 30 races, with his four second-place finishes all behind Lecuona, resulting in Aruba.it Racing – Ducati one-two results.
Ducati had already secured its 22nd WorldSBK Manufacturers’ Championship and the Teams’ Championship for a fifth consecutive season.
Since October 12, 2025, Ducati has won every WorldSBK race.
Lecuona, who remains with the factory Ducati team, expressed his view on the regulatory adjustments.
It is not the way for the championship because it’s not fair to cut the wins on a factory that is doing his job and help the other factory that didn’t do nothing.
He suggested that providing more testing days or development opportunities to other manufacturers would be a more equitable approach.
Lecuona also noted that Ducati still possesses margin for improvement, indicating the bike could perform ‘half a second faster every lap.’
Ducati Corse Technical Coordinator Marco Zambenedetti acknowledged that the new rules would ‘reduce our performance for sure.’
However, Zambenedetti expressed confidence in Ducati’s engineers to adapt and extract maximum performance from their package.
Yamaha Motor Europe’s Road Racing Sporting Manager Niccolo Canepa welcomed the changes, citing Ducati’s ‘clear domination’ and an ‘imbalance’ in the 2026 championship.
Canepa views the new direction as positive for both privateer and official teams.
Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team Manager Guim Roda stated the need to understand the new rules for bike adjustments.
Kawasaki WorldSBK Team Principal Manuel Puccetti welcomed the new era, anticipating the potential for new manufacturers to enter.
BMW Motorrad Motorsport Head Sven Blusch affirmed that conditions are equal for all manufacturers, and BMW will focus on building the best package.
Further changes are planned for 2028, with a new ‘Rank Concession’ system under discussion to revise the current concession framework.
From 2030, the engine capacity limit for four-cylinder engines will be extended to 1200cc.
