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There’s really little anyone can do when faced with Alvaro Bautista’s blatant superiority. At the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Montmelò, his opponents were forced to lick their wounds for the umpteenth time, overwhelmed by the show of strength for speed and relevant constancy in performance of the reigning World Champion. A worrisome situation that not only involves Jonathan Rea but also Toprak Razgatlioglu. Despite all the limitations of the case, Yamaha’s tightrope walker maximized the results, taking home a 2nd place (almost 9 seconds from the Ducati #1) at the height of an intense battle with Rea.
“I simply tried to give my best,” Razgatlioglu admitted, without mincing words. “Johnny and I took a gamble.I saw he wasn’t pushing himself to the limit, probably trying to preserve the rear tire. In some corners, I felt faster than he was, and vice versa in others. Our real problem has been the drastic drop in the front in the last three to four laps, resulting in a lack of grip. I still managed to keep track of the Kawasaki and ultimately took the position. I’m quite satisfied, better than nothing. We knew it would be difficult to keep up with Bautista on a track that’s unfavorable to my riding style.”
His performance was affected, in large part, by his negative Super Pole from this morning. A series of mishaps forced him to jump from the third line of the grid because of an 8th time: “The red flag in the middle prevented me from using another SCQ solution, so I couldn’t improve my time. But I started out good in the race. I’m happy to have battled it out with Johnny. Neither of us started the weekend with the right attitude. We took a decisive step forward in the race.”
Despite the two races (Superpole Race and Race 2) scheduled for tomorrow, which are important from a championship perspective, the Turkish rider already seems to be looking ahead at the next appointment on the calendar: “The main objective will be to finish in the podium area, if possible in second position, and then return to fight for the victory from the Misano stage. I expect Bautista to be great there too, because of the type of track that'll allow us to take more risks with the rear.”
When he was drawn into the matter involving Axel Bassani and Michael Ruben Rinaldi, and he replied: “I didn’t see the dynamics clearly. A few moments before, Rinaldi entered in on Bassani. Then, at turn ten, I think they both ignored each other and touched. It often happens in a race. They’re both Ducati riders who aspire to the best for themselves. I understand Rinaldi’s frustration. I expect him to come back even stronger tomorrow. Is the episode similar to the one between me and Rea in Assen? I have no idea. I only noticed Rinaldi.”
