Alvaro Bautista ‘didn’t expect tyre problem, it was really difficult to lean’
Alvaro Bautista got his 2024 WorldSBK title defence 🍬back on-track with a double top four finish on Sunday at Phillip Island.
The two-time WorldSBK champio𒉰n looked poised to win Race but before Aꦗlex Lowes swept around the outside of Alvaro Bautista at turn nine.
A bold move, Lowes held on across the line as ཧBautista had to settle for second.
2ꦕ024 World Superbike Phillip Island, Superpole Race - Results
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But given the dramas of Race 1, Bautista’s poꦍdium finish and P4 in the Superpole Race has moved him up to fifth in the standings.
“I’m happy,” began Bautista. “Not only f𓆏or the second place which I think was the maximum I could achieve today, because it was a really tricky race with the red flag.
“I managed the situation very well and tried toꦦ push as much as I could at the end of the race, but I had some tyre problems in the last three laps.
“It was difficult to enter the corners, to lean aꩲnd to open the gas. But my feeling with ꦜthe bike improved with every session and that was my target coming here.”
Bautista was closed down by Lowes and Andrea Locatelli during the clos⛦ing stages and admitted he didn’t foresee a tyre i🌳ssue coming his way.
“🌄I didn’t expect to have the problem I had. It was really difficult to lean and to go fast in the corners.
“I didn’t know which rider was behind me but I expected him to not pass me easilജy. In tha๊t corner especially not, I expected easier ones than that one but in the left corners I was not fast anymore because of the rear.
“I tried to be fast in the last co♏rner but it was on the left. He did a really good race and fought to the 🍌end.”
Up next for Bautista will be a trip to his home round𒊎 in Barcelona, a circuit he has dominated during his time in WorldSBK.
Bautis♕ta will also test at the Catalan circuit prior to the race weekend as he looks to improve his feeling with the Panigale V4 R.
Bautista added: “The test will💙 be another chance to work on myself and the bike and to get more confidence.
“Our target is that and then, if I feelᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ good with the bike we can try something with the set-up.”
