Alvaro Bautista heads to Italy for the primary ever WorldSBK race at Cremona with a damaged rib and a 67-point deficit within the riders’ standings to his rookie teammate, Nicolo Bulega.
Regardless of these apparent negatives, issues have been wanting up lately for the Spaniard, who rediscovered a optimistic feeling with the Ducati Panigale V4 R, that he received the 2022 and 2023 titles on, at Most, a sense that has carried itself to every of the rounds held since.
Whereas Bautista admitted that beating your teammate and establishing your self as the primary rider in a workforce is the aim of any rider, he stated that the place he finishes within the championship will not be at the moment his major focus.
“The primary rider you wish to beat is your teammate and it’s clear you wish to be the primary rider within the workforce,” Bautista instructed WorldSBK.com. “It’s a great goal nevertheless it’s not one thing that worries me. If I can beat him, okay; if not, it doesn’t matter.
“I feel [Nicolo] Bulega is a really robust rider. I knew he may very well be aggressive in WorldSBK. He has loads of expertise however he’s additionally a extremely good employee, he’s actually quick and we’re recovering from a extremely tough begin to the season.
“For me, it’s [more] essential that I can end the season with a great feeling than the place I end.”
Bautista and Bulega will line-up alongside one another within the manufacturing facility Ducati storage as soon as once more in 2025, with the Spanish rider having signed a one-year extension with the Bologna model again in Magny-Cours.
“I’m so completely happy to resume the contract with Aruba Ducati as a result of it’s a want for me to maintain racing and, ultimately, we reached an settlement,” Bautista stated.
“I’m very completely happy to be right here at the least subsequent yr in WorldSBK. For subsequent yr, I desire, as I all the time say, to take the choice yr by yr.
“My profession has been very lengthy. I simply wish to go yr by yr, and don’t wish to put strain on me or the workforce. The aim for 2025 will not be clear but. We now have to complete 2024 and it’ll be essential to finish the season with a great feeling, in that I’m aggressive and might trip the bike as I need.
“Then, we’ll take into consideration 2025. In the meanwhile, I wish to use the remaining races of 2024 to get better the sensation once more and push at 100%.”
