Storm Stacey confirmed on Ducati with Michael Rutter-managed Bathams AJN Racing Team for 2026 British Superbike Championship

The English team has made the switch to the Italian manufacturer from BMW.

Stacey spearheaded team boss Rutter’s maiden foray into BSB last year and impressed with ten top-five finishes on his way to tenth place in the championship standings.

Stacey said: “2025 was mega for me and being able to race further towards the front of the field in the top five regularly was such a boost for me.

“The team was new to me, but I can’t fault their effort and the atmosphere, so staying with them for 2026 was a pretty easy decision, especially with the switch to Ducati happening too.

“At the time of this press release, the bike is 98% built and ready to test, so you can imagine just how keen I am to throw a leg over it and see what the fuss is all about, which will be very soon.

“Until then, I really want to say a massive thanks to all the teams’ sponsors for backing this massive new project, and a shout out to my fans who have been wanting to know what I’m up to. Thanks for your patience, but I really do believe this news was worth the wait.”

Team owner Rutter added: “Well, if 2025 was a big jump for the team, 2026 is already making that look like a piece of cake. Switching manufacturers and building our bike from a road bike has been a mammoth task, but I truly believe it will be worth it.

“Along with Storm and everyone else in the team, including the sponsors, we felt that in order to move forward from where we got to in 2025, we needed to change the bike.

“Obviously, we considered all options, but the fact that the Ducati is the only Superbike to have been upgraded and developed in recent times is what swayed us onto it. Also, there is a long history between me, my dad and Ducati which is a really nice bonus.”

Rutter is confident the team can make a step forward in 2026 but was reluctant to make any bold predictions.

“Looking ahead to the 2026 season, the one thing I learned last year was that it’s impossible to know what to expect,” he said. “I would never have predicted the results we managed last year, not even close, so I’m not about to make any predictions for the Storm and Ducati combination.

“All I can say is that on paper at least, we should be able to make a step forward from where we were last year, plus as a team we learned a massive amount which will also count for something this year.

“Like a lot of people, I’m extremely keen to get Storm onto the bike as soon as we can and start getting all our heads around it. One thing is for sure; it’s not going to be dull.”

Rutter crashed last year at the Isle of Man TT and missed the rest of the season.

The 53-year-old was back on a bike for the first time at the Classic TT in August, where he participated in a parade lap.

Rutter is among the guests at Thursday’s live launch of the North West 200 in Belfast.