The Barcelona circuit will host the second round of the World Superbike Championship next weekend. After a difficult start in Australia, two-time champion Álvaro Bautista is optimistic and believes he will return to good results at the Catalan track.
‘I’ve had the hardest winter, but I’m almost 100 per cent. And the most important thing is that I’ll be able to start concentrating more on finding the right feeling with the bike, which we lacked throughout the pre-season’ he said in an interview with Sport newspaper.
The Ducati rider compared the differences between the performance he had in 2023 and what he’s been trying to overcome since the regulations came into force: ‘If last year it was already difficult for me to move the bike when changing direction… with a heavier bike, it’s even more difficult, it’s harder to control. In the case of crashes, if you need certain metres to brake, with five or six extra kilos and the speed, you need more space. On many circuits, you’re already at the limit in the corners. There’s also more danger for the stewards, even for the public in the stands – we’ve often seen motorbikes shoot out. In short, I don’t think it’s the best way to balance the championship’ he emphasised.
Looking ahead to the next race, Álvaro wants to stand out in Catalunya.
“I’m really looking forward to it. In Australia, it was an atypical weekend, with tyre changes and red flags, it was strange. But I went from less to more, recovering the best sensations with the bike and starting to ride the way I like best, at a great level. Barcelona is a track I really like, I enjoy it a lot. We achieved good results last year and I hope to continue evolving, finding the sensations I didn’t have in the winter,” he concluded.