Returnee Alvaro Bautista also puts himself in the limelight with strong lap times at the WSBK test in Barcelona – team-mate Michael Rinaldi is looking to catch up
Ducati returnee Alvaro Bautista put in a strong performance at the World Superbike Championship test in Barcelona (see test report). The Spaniard set the fastest time on the first day of testing. And Bautista was also fast on the second day. In the combined classification, Bautista ended up in second place. Only World Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (Yamaha) was a tad faster.
Bautista completed 93 laps on the first day of testing and led the standings with his 1’40.824 lap. The Spaniard set this lap time with the SCX tyre and not with the extra-soft SCQ tyre.
Ahead of the fourth season with the Panigale V4R, Ducati has changed a few details. A new swingarm with modified stiffness is supposed to create more grip. In addition, new fork innards were tested on Bautista’s machine.
The aim is to bring the title back to Bologna with Alvaro Bautista, after narrowly failing in the previous two years with Scott Redding (as the Briton did with the BMW in Barcelona).
Ducati as strong as at start of 2019 season?
The big question is: Can Bautista build on the success of the 2019 WSBK season, in which he won the first eleven races in sometimes dominant form? “I don’t want to think about specific results. I want to build a good feeling and set strong lap times,” commented the Spaniard.
“If I can be as strong as I was in the winter tests, then we should be able to fight for victory. The important thing is that I can keep enjoying it,” explains Bautista, who already made a very strong impression in the two tests at Portimao and Misano.
“It’s a good sign because I wasn’t just fast in one test. I feel very good. Already in Portimao I was fast, but also very consistent. The feeling was really good. In Misano we were even stronger. The feeling for the bike was even better than in Portimao”, describes the former MotoGP rider.
Alvaro Bautista eagerly awaits first race with Ducati
“I am satisfied with these two days of testing,” he summed up the Barcelona test. “We worked intensively on the bike and tried some interesting solutions that gave us positive results. We also tested the new rear tyre from Pirelli, which should be available for the race weekend in Barcelona. But then the weather conditions will surely be different. “
“We are making constant progress and that gives us great confidence,” explained Bautista, who completed 18 laps in the wet on day two. Ahead of the Aragon opener, the Ducati camp is all about bringing all the knowledge together.
“In Aragon we have to compare the parts we tried in the previous tests. It’s all about fine tuning. That’s the plan for the first day of testing,” explains Bautista. “On the second day of testing, I want to prepare for the race weekend. I hope I can build up the same feeling as in the previous tests. “
Michael Rinaldi “not 100 per cent prepared yet “
Teammate Michael Rinaldi has a bit more homework to do, having lagged behind in previous tests. Rinaldi was also slower than Bautista in Barcelona. “It was a useful test where we prepared mainly for the race in Aragon. Unfortunately, due to the rain, I couldn’t do a fast lap with the SCX tyre,” said Rinaldi, explaining the 0.789-second gap.
“But the feeling has improved since the Misano test and I feel we have made a big step. For sure we are not 100 per cent prepared yet. So the Aragon test will be very important. But I have the feeling that we are on the right track. We just have to continue like this,” said the Italian.
The Superbike World Championship starts into the new season on 8 April in Aragon. There will be a final test on 4/5 April.
Combined lap times of both days:
1st Toprak Razgatlioglu (Yamaha) – 1:40.571 minutes
2nd Alvaro Bautista (Ducati) +0.253s
3rd Iker Lecuona (Honda) +0.462
4th Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki) +0.491
5th Garrett Gerloff (GRT-Yamaha) +0.658
6th Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Ducati) +0.789
7th Scott Redding (BMW) +1.065
8th Alex Lowes (Kawasaki) +1.093
9th Lucas Mahias (Puccetti-Kawasaki) +1.117
10th Xavi Vierge (Honda) +1.148
11th Philipp Öttl (GoEleven-Ducati) +1.164
12th Andrea Locatelli (Yamaha) +1.294
13th Eugene Laverty (Bonovo-BMW) +1.371
14th Kohta Nozane (GRT-Yamaha) +1.857
15th Loris Baz (Bonovo-BMW) +1.858
16th Ilya Mikhalchik (BMW) +2.192
17th Luca Bernardi (Barni-Ducati) +2.680
18th Oliver König (Orelac-Kawasaki) +3.655
19th Loris Cresson (Pedercini-Kawasaki) +4.692
20th Hafizh Syahrin (MIE-Honda) +4,968
