Image: Supplied.

Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) has confirmed the signing of Alvaro Bautista to its newly-formed official factory team that will contest the 2020 Motul FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK).

Bautista has scored 15 race wins in his rookie WorldSBK season this year with Aruba.it Racing – Ducati, however after just one campaign with the Italian manufacturer, the Spaniard is set to pilot what is understood to be a new-generation superbike from Honda in 2020, as HRC strengthens its intentions in the series.

“We are very happy to welcome Alvaro Bautista to our WSBK racing project for next year,” said HRC president Yoshishige Nomura.

“His arrival in the Honda racing family underlines our strong commitment to compete at full force in every motorsport category, fighting to achieve top sporting results and looking for the best technological innovations, in order to offer our fans and customers fun, joy and excellent products.

“Alvaro is a very fast, experienced rider who has already shown his strong racing attitude and competitiveness in his GP years and in his first season in the WorldSBK Championship. We are confident that he will make a significant contribution to the growth and development of our project in the exciting and challenging Superbike World Championship.”

Bautista stretched out a 60-point lead in the opening rounds this year before numerous mistakes and crashes demoted him to second, where he currently sits 91 points behind leader Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team).

Former MotoGP rider Scott Redding will fulfil Bautista’s spot alongside regular Chaz Davies, while the future of the Honda-supported Moriwaki Althea squad is unclear.