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After four rounds, Alvaro Bautista is increasingly leading the Superbike World Championship, with an impressive record of ten victories out of eleven races. An absolute domination that follows the string of victories obtained by the Spaniard at the start of his adventure in the category, testifying to the immediate understanding that was created between him and the Ducati Panigale V4R, the bike with which he won the title he came close to in 2019.
After nine seasons without much satisfaction in MotoGP, the 125cc World Champion has found his place among the production-derived series, as he admitted in a long interview granted to the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia: "I'm having a lot of fun with the bike, more than in all other years in MotoGP. I feel I can ride how I want and I make the most of my potential and that of the bike. We are made for each other”, underlined the championship leader.
A clear superiority, which in some ways follows the dominance of the Borgo Panigale manufacturer in MotoGP.
“In MotoGP almost all the top riders ride a Ducati, while in this championship the only Ducati ahead is mine. The others have good moments, but none of the other Ducatis manage to fight for the win - pointed out Bautista - The key in Superbike it is the bike-rider-team combination. It's a Ducati derived from the MotoGP concept and designed by Gigi Dall'Igna, so my style, which is MotoGP, fits very well, and the bike allows me to ride in a very natural way. When I was in Honda I rode in the same way, but we didn't get along…”.
It’s all different from the years between 2010 and 2018, in which Alvaro rode in the premier class of the World Championship. But what did he lack to be able to leave his mark?
“In MotoGP I missed being in a top team with a competitive bike and constant hard work. I've always had to make do with satellite bikes, because I was never in a factory team. I could not show everything that I was capable of. I feel that I could have given more. Now I'm giving my best. Now I'm really myself - affirmed the 38-year-old, who would perhaps have been able to express himself at his best if he now arrived in MotoGP - That was the era that touched me: I was on a satellite bike and there was more difference compared to what there is with current satellite bikes. And then I raced with Rossi, Lorenzo, Marquez, Stoner, Pedrosa, Dovizioso... In 2012 I finished fifth and in 2013 sixth with a satellite bike. It was a merit, but who would they have taken off a factory bike to put me on it? There were all those big names out front. Now MotoGP is more open, the satellite bikes win, and there are no longer all those names that were always up front."
Bautista: "I'd be surprised if Marquez won the title this year"
Although he didn't have the right opportunity to demonstrate his potential, Bautista seems to have put a cross on MotoGP, but he doesn't completely close the doors to a sensational return to the top category.
“At the moment I've asked Ducati to do a test with the MotoGP bike, as a reward for my 2022 title. We'll see what my feelings will be when I try it. If I like it, I'll make some requests, like a wildcard - said Alvaro, commenting on his chances of returning - If I lapped one second faster than Bagnaia in the tests, perhaps (Ducati) would reconsider, but I don't think that will happen. In 2019 my idea was to return to MotoGP, but right now that's not in my plans. Furthermore, the Superbike is a comfortable championship in terms of travel, especially when you have two small girls, there is less stress, less pressure. If they asked me to return to MotoGP, it would be difficult for me to say yes. I wouldn’t have much enthusiasm for it. But you never know. I'm really enjoying SBK."
After 5 years away, MotoGP is no longer an open wound for the Iberian rider.
“First year I was envious, it was my home, I grew up there. It was strange to see my rivals. Now no longer. I try to watch it as a spectator" admitted Bautista, who from the outside has got some ideas about the values on the track and Marc Marquez's potential.
“Right now the strongest duo is Ducati-Bagnaia. Especially due to Pecco's experience - said the native of Talavera de la Reina, who wouldn't bet on a ninth title for his compatriot - Marc has the potential to become champion again, but it's not just the physical factor that counts, there are other things. I would be very surprised if he wins the championship this year. I wouldn't bet on him, but not because I don't believe in him, but because of the mechanical level there is now: today a rider's talent is less appreciated than a few years ago. Now Marquez can't show all of his talent. He must find his rhythm and settle psychologically, because they have been crazy years, with many interruptions and operations ”.
As for the future, what would you recommend to Marc? To leave Honda or continue with the Japanese manufacturer? "I would simply tell him to do what he thinks is best for him - he concluded - In this world you have to be selfish and think about yourself".
