Superbike World Champion Alvaro Bautista has to start the first Barcelona race from P14: Why was last year’s winner penalized after Superpole?
Ducati rider Alvaro Bautista finished the first race of the Superbike World Championship in Barcelona in third position (race report). From 14th on the grid, the Spaniard showed a strong recovery. Bautista lost just over five seconds to winner Toprak Razgatlioglu (BMW)
The poor starting position made things difficult for Bautista in the first race. In Superpole, last year’s winner did not get past P11 and later received a penalty. Because Bautista rode slowly in Superpole, he had to move down three positions.
The Spaniard was not happy with the penalty. “There was nobody on the track, everyone was in the pits. I rode out, together with Rinaldi, Iannone and Rabat. There were four of us on the track. I picked up the pace and let Iannone and Rinaldi past. Then I picked up the pace. I crossed the finish line ahead of Rinaldi. He wasn’t penalized,” said the world champion in amazement.
“Apart from that, I only saw Bulega on the track. And he was on a slow lap. I didn’t ride on the line,” reports Bautista and ponders: “I was penalized even though I didn’t hinder anyone. The rule only says that you can’t slow down on the racing line. “
Difficult starting position after disappointing Superpole and penalty
Would anything have changed without the penalty? “You can never be sure,” said Bautista. “But I don’t think much would have changed. Maybe I wouldn’t have had to force so much if I had started three positions further forward. It would certainly have gone better.”
“This track always puts a lot of strain on the tires. That’s why I tried not to push too hard when overtaking the other riders. Otherwise I would have had some problems in the final laps,” says the veteran.
“I tried not to put too much strain on the tires and to overtake in places where it was easier for me,” explained Bautista, who is no longer as superior on his Ducati as he was last year. “It is now more difficult for me to overtake on the straights. I looked for other places. “
Too high air pressure puts Alvaro Bautista in danger
In his race to catch up, Bautista risked a possible crash. “I had to catch a few slides. When I was riding behind the other riders, the front tire overheated and the air pressure increased. I lost grip as a result. With a clear run, I was able to ride more precise lines. It was more difficult behind the other riders,” said the 39-year-old.
Bautista is eleventh on the grid for the Superpole race. The sprint will be important to ensure a good starting position for the second race. “The strategy? There is no strategy in the Superpole race,” jokes the defending champion, who is expecting tough battles
“We will mount the SCQ tire and then attack fully,” predicts Bautista. “It will probably be a bit fresher on Sunday. During the test, I did 14 laps with the SCQ tire and recorded low or mid 1’41s. But it will be a different story in the race. “
