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SBK, Bautista: "The Panigale V4 is a MotoGP for the road"

"I haven't experienced a weekend like this in the past ten years. Pirelli? In MotoGP, when you lose the front wheel with a Michelin, you end up on the ground. In SBK, you don't."

SBK: Bautista: "The Panigale V4 is a MotoGP for the road"

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Alvaro, how would you define this Ducati V4 in one word?

Good question. Can I use more than one word?

Of course!

Well, then, I'd say that it's a MotoGP for the road.

 Bautista was a catch-all on the Phillip Island circuit. After a victory in Race 1 and in the Superpole Race, the Spaniard finishes in style, reciting the leading role in Race 2, too.

What more could you want from life? Difficult to find an answer, when you forced Johnny Rea to become a spectator this weekend.

It's incredible. I'm living a dream,”  he exclaimed. “It wasn't easy against Johnny in the Superpole Race this morning. Also, the conditions in the morning were different than they were in the afternoon. But we managed to win, and that's what counts, doing the same in the afternoon.

On the second to last lap, you had 18 seconds on Rea. How do you explain that?

Honestly, I don't know. I simply rode the bike like I did from the first day of testing. In Race 2, I tried to immediately push from the start, then I managed the tires at the end. Among other things, the electronics helped us in terms of performance.”

You went from Michelin to Pirelli in just a few months, but you almost seem like a veteran.

These Pirelli are completely different from the Michelin. It's true that the engine power in SBK is lower, but I'm fine with it. The front wheel is incredible. If you lose it in MotoGP, you're immediately on the ground, while here you’re able to recover.

Did you ever think you'd have a weekend like this?

I came here without too many expectations. I didn't expect anything like this. My goal was simply to give it my all with the bike. I haven't experienced a weekend like this in ten years.

Did you hear from Dall'Igna after yesterday?

Of course. He complimented me. He said we went really well. But this was the first race on a track that I really love. Now we'll be going to Thailand. I'm convinced that Rea will be much more competitive in Buriram.

What should we expect at this point?

I like the Chang track a lot, and I'll face it with the same mentality as always. So, I'll have to try to find the same sensations like at Phillip Island, knowing that the track will be different. With Ducati, we're on the right track, but not 100%, yet.

 

Translated by Leila Myftija

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