One of the big debates of the year in WSBK has been the new rule of the combined minimum weight of riders and bikes, many riders have made statements on this issue and one that stands out more is Álvaro Bautista.
The reigning WSBK champion criticized this new rule quite a bit and started the championship with many difficulties in adapting to the bike and consequently the weight.
In controversial statements against Bautista, in an interview with Motorsport-Total.com, Paul Denning added a new debate on this topic: ‘Alvaro gained some weight during the winter. They finish the races with a safety cushion of half a kilo or a kilo of fuel. It’s a silly thing to say. He won’t carry almost any extra weight. I’m sure of that.’ he also added – ‘It was pathetic what he did. He is a two-time Superbike world champion. It’s understandable that he may have some disadvantages, but these are offset by the huge advantages he has in many aspects. I don’t understand why he made such a fuss. He should focus on his work’.
However, the problems do not stop at the weight of the bikes or the riders, but rather the lack of feedback that the riders have, as clarified by the Yamaha team director.
– ‘The only reason I can explain is that it is personal data. But we continue to communicate the height and weight of our riders in our public relations brochure. There is no problem with that’.
