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Alvaro Bautista in 2025 will once again be at a crossroads: continue or stop for good? The Spaniard was not happy with his 2024 season, which was conditioned by many factors including a ballast rule that continues to prove to be quite indigestible. Alvaro had to accept the defeat from Toprak and even his teammate, 2024 rookie Bulega, got the better of him in the standings.
Bautista wants to get back to fighting for the title throughout the season so that he does not have to say stop with a hint of disappointment in his mouth and this is what emerged from his declarations made during the presentation of Team Aruba for World SBK 2025.
How do you describe your situation after the winter tests?
"The situation is a bit difficult," Bautista explained, "because last year in the winter tests I finished with very positive feelings. We wanted to continue on the same path in January, but unfortunately we didn't do it well. In two days at Jerez it was strange, the first day it was very windy, the track was very wet and there we did some testing but I didn't understand much about it. On the second day, however, the rain prevented me from riding. In Portimao also it was already pretty much like that, the rain left the track very wet in some places and it was even more windy than in Jerez. We did some testing but I honestly didn't understand much about it."
What did you think you missed?
"I didn't have the good feeling I had before, maybe because I came from a more difficult situation in 2024 and I didn't find the conditions to really get confidence with the bike. So honestly I don't feel 100 percent to start the season, however we have two days in Phillip Island, which is a very special track. I have always gone strong there, even last year. I hope we can work well there and gain confidence with the bike to arrive in better condition for the first race. Now honestly the feeling has not improved, I will have to think a lot about all the changes made at Jerez and Portimao, and maybe even start again as I finished last year to erase any doubts. I'm going to Australia with a lot of desire to be comfortable with the bike."
Is ballast still an issue?
"Ballast is what it is. The bike, my bike, is like that and I just have to work to go strong anyway. You can't change that rule, we have to adapt. As well as to the talk of fuel and all the other changes. We just have to figure out how to make the most of the package."
Do you think the fuel flow rule could be decisive?
"There will be more work for the engineers to make the most of the fuel we will have available without losing too much performance. I don't know the situation of others, but I think in our case it is not a decisive thing. During the 2024 season we had the same control over the flow of fuel and we were not in a bad shape. I think it's a good idea, nobody knows how things really are on other bikes...who's to say there isn't a mini tank somewhere? In our case all last year we used this flow control and we didn't have any problems, so it won't change anything for us."
Redding keeps attacking you, he's back to talking about you and your advantages for your petite physique. Did you hear that?
"Even taking the wheels off my bike can work! Redding honestly is fixated on me, even in MotoGP he was like that, I remember when we were together he often said 'if I had Bautista's bike' then he got it and did worse than before...I was in Aprilia, then he came and the results were not great. For us it was the second year in MotoGP, we had developed a new bike and we were close to the top five. I think he never did better. In 2020 he took the Ducati that I fought with for the title in 2019. He did second, but he didn't win 11 races in a row like I had. When I took the Panigale again I won two world championships in a row, he's really fixated on me, he doesn't want me to win. He tried hard to create the ballast thing, this year he will have the same bike as me, but I am small. Maybe he'll say it's suitable for small riders, in fact I feel sorry for my partner Bulega who did so badly this year. Iannone and Petrucci have also won little. All the big riders are going strong with the Ducati, that's the reality. Everyone who had Redding's bike after him won the title, me, Toprak. I feel sorry for him, he is more focused on others than himself."
Do you think Toprak is still the man to beat?
"I think Toprak will be strong, even without superconcessions. In BMW they did a great job last year, I don't know how much they can use this year, in testing he was strong, also Van Der Mark, they made a step forward. He will have to defend the title and he will. We in Ducati use the same bike, the new one will come in 2026. I think our performance will be very similar to 2024, it will have to be understood if BMW lost something and how much they lost. We will understand that at Phillip Island. For me the surprise of the winter was Bimota, it went strong with both Lowes and Bassani, I think it's a bike to keep an eye on."
It's early, but are you already thinking about 2026?
"I would like to feel good again with my Panigale. I would like to continue into 2026 with the new one, but we will see. My idea is to be at the top again, I was a little unlucky in 2024, yes, but I didn't have bad performances. After winning two titles, it seems that doing third in the world championship is not a great thing, but the reality is that many riders will never do third in the world championship, so it was not a bad year. I will try this year to feel competitive, so that I can exploit the bike and maybe then continue with the new model .Nothing is decided yet."
Among the other Ducati riders, who do you think can go strong?
"I think Petrucci will be strong. He has more experience, he is improving every year, in some races he is very strong. I think in 2025 with more experience he will come even closer and can be there often for podium and victory."
