Delighted Alvaro Bautista after Catalunya test: “I feel like I’m back again!”
⛄Nicolo Bulega (P1) and Alvaro Bautista (P3) react to Thursday's WSBK test
The Catalunya 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:WorldSBK test might eventually be remembered as the moment 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Alvaro Bautista’s title defence truly began.
Bautista has endured an injury-disrupted winter🦂 ahead of the 2024 season which features new weight rules.
But on Thursday, the first of two days of testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Bautista went th🥂ird-fastest and emerged with a feeling of delight.
Bautista was second-quickest until ꦆa late surge from Toprak Razgatlioglu, but still completed 100 laps with a best time of 1’41.029s.
He confirmed there are no lingering feelings from his injur꧟y, and added: “Now, I am happy be💎cause I am feeling like I am back again.
“After the Austral𒅌ian Round, I was quite confident and, today, I started like a bit awkward but then I felt good on the bike.
“I can say I don’t have problems riding the bike.
“We didn’t make a lot of changes because, ꧑for me, it’s important to get the feeling with🎀 the bike.
“The bike is basically the same as last ye♍ar. A bit more๊ weight but basically the bike didn’t change.
“It’s important to get theജ feeling, get used to the ♚new weight of the bike and see in which areas we can push more or less.”
Nicolo Bulega fastest on Thursday in Barcelona
Bautis🦹ta’⛄s Ducati teammate Nicolo Bulega has topped the timesheets at every WSBK test he has been involved in.
On Thursday he completed 72 laps ওwith a best time of 1’40.305s, which 🐭arrived on his 67th lap.
He finished half-a-second clear of Razgatlioglu.
Bulega reacted: “It’s not a bad feeling to be P1!
“I know it’s just🧸 a test, but it gives me a lot of confidence to be P1 but also if I was P2; I’m fast, so it’s good.
“I used the SCQ, I think like everꦬybody. I used it like Alvaro, Toprak and a lot of guys.
“I tried the new Pirelli C900 tyre, and I liked it; I think it can be a good choice for the rou𝓰nd.
“All the tyres I tried today, I had a good feeling. We concentrated a lo❀t on the clutch because, in Australia, my three starts were bad.
“We tried something new on the clutch to start better. I improved a littl𝄹e bit, so I’m happy, but when you are in the races, it’s more difficult🌞.”
Every WSBK rider will also test on Frid🦂ay🎉 in Barcelona.
James was🍸 a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
