It was a Saturday spent playing catch-up for Alvaro Bautista at Balaton. After struggling in Superpole, the Barni rider staged a thrilling comeback in Race 1, finishing in fifth place.
The Spaniard is well aware of the situation he’s currently in. As of now, he still lacks the confidence needed to be competitive on the Panigale, but he has no intention of giving up.
“I’d say I’m 50-50 happy with this Saturday,” he said. “This weekend has been a bit difficult for me because yesterday, in FP1, I missed the entire session due to a tire issue. It wasn’t working well, and we basically skipped practice. In FP2 we started working, but I still had problems with the tyres and couldn’t get good performance. So I didn’t understand how much of it was down to the tyres or the bike. After yesterday, the feeling wasn’t the best, but not like it was at Assen.”
How did things go today?
“This morning we tried a new setup, but it didn’t work. For Superpole we went back to the previous setup, and just as I was improving my lap time, I hit some yellow flags: maybe I could have gained a couple of positions. As for the race, I’m pretty satisfied because I gave it my all. We tweaked the bike a bit, and I felt I could ride it better. In the first part, I always have to be very careful, especially on a track with so many braking and acceleration zones: I can’t stop the bike the way I’d like to, and it’s dangerous for both me and the other riders.”
How difficult is it to “tame” this Panigale?
“I try to be competitive without doing anything stupid and without taking unnecessary risks. After the halfway point, I start riding better, improve my lap times, and manage to make up positions, but I lose a lot at the start. I don’t think we’re at our best yet. We took a step forward at Assen, but this race is very different; however, today I felt closer to that feeling, especially in the second half. Now we have some ideas to improve for tomorrow.”
You finished fifth behind Montella…
“I don’t focus so much on the result, but on how the bike feels and my performance. I’m happy to have finished the race, but not completely satisfied because we can still improve.”
How do you feel in this new situation for you?
“It’s not an easy situation. Deep down, though, I’m confident because I know I always give my all. I’m motivated and don’t feel like I’m making mistakes: I’m always trying to improve. During the race, I push on every lap, and even in the final laps I often manage to make up positions. This shows that I keep pushing and never give up. Obviously, it’s better when you’re fighting to win. Over the last two years, I haven’t liked the situation: I’ve felt penalized compared to the others. At that point, you have two options: accept it and keep working, or stay home. Honestly, sometimes I feel like saying, “Enough, I’m quitting, you can all go to hell,” but the problem is that I love motorcycles, I love riding, and I love improving every time. This is the battle I have inside me, and it’s what motivates me to keep going.”
There’s increasing talk that this Superbike series is becoming a Ducati one-make series…
“I think Ducati has invested a lot to build a competitive bike, not just for racing but also for customers. Anyone who buys a Ducati knows they’re getting a top-tier bike. Other manufacturers invest too, but you need it all: a good bike and good riders as well. The Ducati lineup is very strong, and that makes the difference. The problem is that it seems like those who do well get penalized. Some manufacturers are simply waiting for penalties to be handed out to the strongest riders. It’s a mindset I don’t agree with. In the past, Ducati and even Kawasaki have been penalized, but the strange thing is when they penalize the riders: it makes no sense. Every rider should be free to express themselves, and the focus should be on balancing the bikes instead. In the end, even with penalties, the Ducatis stay ahead. Perhaps without these restrictions, some riders could be more competitive—myself included.”
What do you think of Bulega’s 14 consecutive wins?
“The positive thing for him is that he has no one really putting pressure on him. He has a good lead, so he can ride calmly and without taking risks. I remember when I won 11 races: I had rivals who pushed me to the limit, like Toprak and Rea, so it was harder to maintain that consistency. This year, however, he has no real rivals. When you can push without pressure, everything becomes easier. Still, it’s never easy to win so many races: you have to start well, avoid mistakes, and bring home every race.”