Ducati have dismissed claims that they could prioritise Nicolo Bulega over 🔯Alvaro Bautista next year.

Bulega finished runner-up in the World Superbike Cha🅷mpionship in his rookie season, ꩵwhile teammate and reigning champion Bautista struggled.

BMW’s Toprak Razgatliogluꦐ won the title and will be the man to beat in 2025.

But Serafino Foti won’t impleme🍒nt a new policy in the Aruba.it D🥂ucati WSBK team.

“No, no. We don’t have Rider 1 and Rider 2,”ꦦ he said.

“We have two ride꧃rs, always, with the same treatment who can win the championship.

“Toprak will be strong because he’s always strongඣ.

“But our riders c🌌an be strong from the beginning.”

‘Not the right moment’

Bautista did one-and-a-hal🃏f days testing, while Bulega did just one day, of the two-day postseason W⛄SBK test in Jerez.

Bautista rode a standard-spec version of the Panigale V4 R in Jerez with none of his personalised set🌠-up preferences.

Foti said:🌌 “With Alvaro it was important to try a different configuration.

“Because our goal was to try the feeling.

“[Wednesday] we tried a lot🐽. The 𒈔test was so positive.

“He didn’t use any soft tyres or development tꦓyres, just the standard tyre to improv🔥e his feeling with the bike.

“We didn’t use the🌱 soft tyre because it🌱’s not the right moment.

“ꦯIn ✤January we will work on that, and work on qualifying.

“The main problem for Alvaro was qualifyin🃏g, not the race where he is as good as the first two riders.”

Bautista opted against reꦏtirement and will comꦉe back in 2025.

“We are in Jerez on January 22 and 23. This winter we have a lot of jobꦛs to do,” Foti said.

“We didn’t work on the regul🅰ations because we are not rea🐻dy.

“In Jan♌uary we 🐽will work on the new spec configuration.

“Regarding N𝓰icolo we🔯 just did one day because he finished his programme,” Foti said.

“We worked with him only on the s🃏et-up of the bike. The resu🍌lt was good, we were happy. He’s ready for the January test.”