While the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is planning on visiting two new circuits in 2024 – Balaton Park in Hungary and Cremona in Italy, both subject to homologation – it’s a chance to take a look at the new venues while also diving into WorldSBK’s history a little bit. While the two circuits will be new, the two countries will not be with both having a rich history of World Superbike action in the past. Check out the full provisional 2024 calendar here.

A RETURN TO HUNGARY: a new venue but a warm welcome back

WorldSBK’s planned visit to Balaton Park in 2024 will mean the circuit would become the second Hungarian track the Championship has visited. Between 1988 and 1990, the Hungaroring was a staple on the calendar with Fred Merkel winning four of the six races, Adrian Morillas winning one and Raymond Roche winning the other. In total, three manufacturers – Honda, Kawasaki, and Ducati – claimed victories in Hungary. Will they be able to add to that total in 2024, or will Yamaha and BMW become Hungarian winners?

BALATON PARK: a new venue for WorldSBK

Situated near Lake Balaton and just an hour’s drive away from the stunning capital city of Budapest, the circuit is a newly-constructed 4.115km venue with six right-hand corners and 10 left-hand turns. It has fast, flowing corners, chicanes and a hairpin as well as technical sections to give a big challenge to the teams and riders when they get to taste the track for the first time in 2024.

MORE HISTORY FOR ITALY TO WRITE: will Cremona add to this?

Italy has a rich history in WorldSBK, with Ducati going through a strong run of success right now. Six different circuits have hosted WorldSBK in the country – Misano, Mugello, Vallelunga, Monza, Pergusa and Imola – with Cremona set to become the seventh. The country has 107 wins in WorldSBK, most recently through Michael Ruben Rinaldi, 422 podiums and two World Championships – courtesy of Max Biaggi in 2010 and 2012. Italy has hosted 157 WorldSBK races in the past and has two circuits – Misano and Cremona – on the 2024 calendar.

THE NEWEST ITALIAN VENUE: Cremona set for WorldSBK debut

With such a history of WorldSBK in Italy, the Cremona circuit will only add to that. With a list of changes already outlined to the circuit, the venue is already preparing for its debut on the world stage. Currently at 3.702km, the track features 13 corners in total with six to the right and seven to the left. Will Ducati be able to claim victory on home soil, with the circuit situated in the region of Lombardia, or will other manufacturers deny them?

OTHER NEW VENUES IN RECENT YEARS: Mandalika and Most provide thrills and spills

Several circuits have made their WorldSBK debut in recent seasons, including the Mandalika and Most venues. Both have provided epic moments, with Mandalika deciding two titles in three years and Most giving some epic and unforgettable racing at the sharp end of the field. Will Balaton Park and the Cremona Circuit be able to give WorldSBK more unbelievable moments when the paddock descends on them?

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Source: WorldSBK.com

MotoGP™ Legend Andrea Dovizioso discussed several topics relating to the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship when he visited the iconic EICMA show recently. From the ‘Titanic Trio’ battling hard throughout 2023, huge changes in the 2024 rider line-up with Jonathan Rea and Toprak Razgatlioglu moving manufacturers, and Andrea Iannone’s return to action. He also expanded on how he thinks Michael Ruben Rinaldi will get on following his switch to Motocorsa Racing, providing insight into his mentality ahead of a return to an Independent team.

ENDING THE YEAR WITH EPIC SCRAPS: Dovizioso on the ‘Titanic Trio’

The 15-time MotoGP™ race winner reflected on the end of the year, which featured some incredible battles between Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Razgatlioglu when he raced for the Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK team, with the pair notably having incredible battles at Portimao and Jerez to conclude the season, which the Italian reacted to. He also spoke about Jonathan Rea and Razgatlioglu’s respective switches to Yamaha and BMW respectively as they look to stop Bautista’s incredible run of success.

On the ‘Titanic Trio’, the fights and their futures, Dovizioso said: “It was very strange and weird because to see two opposite riders battling, it was very difficult. Opposite because the bikes were very different, and the riding style was very different. So, to see that battle was very strange in my opinion. The battle was between two big talents. It was nice. I’m happy for Alvaro because I know him very well, how good he is, and I think he’s been one of the top riders in MotoGP™ with his riding style. I’ve never battled with Toprak, but I think he’s so talented. I like him as a person. I don’t know a lot about him, but I spoke with him, and he seems like a nice person. I think, with BMW, in two years, Toprak can change the situation a bit and become competitive with BMW. I want to Rea do well with Yamaha. I don’t know if Jerez was a real test because Yamaha did very well during the round. I don’t know if that bike works well at that track. I think he has to try it at a different track to understand the real potential of the Yamaha. I think they have to work a bit to really step up and battle with Ducati.”

MAKING THE SWITCH: discussing Rea’s Yamaha move and Razgatlioglu’s BMW transfer

‘Dovi’ is no stranger to switching between bikes through his MotoGP™ career, having raced with Honda between 2008 and 2011, Yamaha in 2012 and 2021-22 and Ducati between 2013 and 2020. He’s one rider who can give his thoughts on the huge changes on the 2024 WorldSBK grid, with four factory teams having a change in their line-up.

Dovizioso said: “They have to do this. Rea with Kawasaki, there wasn’t the feeling anymore. I don’t know how competitive the bike is, but the feeling wasn’t that good like in the past for Rea to battle for the Championship, so he needed a change. Even with Toprak, I think the situation was comfortable at Yamaha but, with him, he needed to change because he needed a bit more support. I don’t know if BMW will be good enough to really step up and fight for the Championship, but they have a good organisation to push. If it works, I don’t know. We will see in the future. The change has been good for everybody.”

IANNONE’S RETURN: “I think everybody knows his talent”

One of the key topics heading into 2024 is Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven). ‘The Maniac’ has been on track with his Independent Panigale V4 R at Jerez, when he showed strong pace immediately, and the interest now is to see how fast he is with more tests and mileage under his belt before the season-opening Australian Round. Having raced against the #29 in MotoGP™, the three-time MotoGP™ World Championship runner-up gave his thoughts on Iannone’s return to action.

Explaining why he thinks it could be difficult but that he wouldn’t be shocked if he was quick, Dovizioso said: “I think it’s good for the Championship. I think everybody knows his talent so I wouldn’t be surprised if he is very fast. To stay at the front and battle to be on top, it’ll be difficult because the level is high, and I don’t know how difficult it is to come back after four years. I’m interested to see how he does.”

RINALDI BACK AT AN INDEPENDENT TEAM: pressure off means a chance to thrive?

‘Dovi’ is good friends with five-time race winner Rinaldi, with the #21 often speaking about how his friend has helped him with training. At EICMA, the MotoGP™ Legend discussed how Rinaldi’s move to the Independent outfit could prove beneficial for him and outlined what he believes the Italian will be able to achieve in 2024 with the pressure off as he’s no longer in the factory team.

When asked whether less pressure could help Rinaldi, the 2004 125cc World Champion said: “That’s for sure. Rinaldi’s problem was Alvaro. He was so strong, and I know Michael, and I know what it means to be in the factory team. Like every Independent rider thinks, the factory team gives you the possibility to win. On one side yes but it’s not reality. Michael realised that. I think he will have a chance next year to stay at the top because he will have the same situation as the factory bike, or similar, so if he approaches the season in a relaxed way, which is difficult, he can be in the top five every week.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Glenn van Straalen will link up with Ten Kate Racing Yamaha for the 2024 FIM Supersport World Championship campaign after inking a deal with the Dutch squad. The three-time podium finisher remains on the Yamaha YZF-R6, where he has spent most of his career, but switches to the reigning Teams’ Champions Ten Kate Racing alongside already-confirmed Stefano Manzi, completing the team’s line-up for next season.

Van Straalen made his WorldSSP debut in 2018, which came after one full season of WorldSSP300 action where he took a podium – he also achieved this on his debut in 2017 for his only race of the year. He retired from both WorldSSP races that year but returned in 2019 to take a best a best finish of 14^th. In 2020, the Dutchman tried his hand at WorldSSP300 for a half-campaign, with a best of tenth, before returning to WorldSSP in the same year. Another half-season followed in 2021 as he took four top-tens in nine races before a breakthrough season in 2022.

He scored two podiums in 2022 with the EAB Racing Team, the team he spent all of his WorldSSP career with bar 2020, including narrowly missing out on a dream first win on home soil at Assen. He was overtaken just seconds before the red flags came out by Dominique Aegerter and, with the race completing enough distance for the results to stand, finished in second. His second podium that year came at Mangy-Cours, also with second while his sole podium in 2023 came on home soil at Assen with third.

For next year, the 23-year-old will join Ten Kate Racing Yamaha alongside 2023 runner-up Manzi as the team look to defend the Teams’ Championship title they’ve won every year since 2021. The Hoogkarspel-born rider will replace Jorge Navarro after the Spaniard had a difficult rookie season following his switch from Moto2™, with van Straalen and Manzi aiming to keep the titles flowing into the Ten Kate Racing Yamaha squad.

Discussing his excitement to race for the iconic team, van Straalen said: “We can finally announce that I will be at the start of the World Supersport Championship in 2024 with Ten Kate Racing. During the past two seasons I have shown my speed on a Yamaha, I am confident that with Ten Kate Racing’s knowledge and experience I can go for a podium finish every weekend next season. That is ultimately our common goal, I’m looking forward tremendously to our first test. Besides Ten Kate Racing, my thanks also go to Yamaha Motor Benelux, Branche Nederland, and Yamaha Motor Europe. Together with the people around me I will work hard in the coming winter to make this collaboration a success. With this announcement, we hope to attract interest from several more parties.”

Team Manager Kervin Bos added: “We are extremely happy and proud to sign a Dutch talent. We are aware of Glenn’s potential and that is also the main reason we have worked so hard on this. The importance for Dutch motorsport is great and we hope to set a trend for the future with this move. As indicated earlier, a lot has to happen to make this a reality. The contracts have been signed but both parties will need to dot the i’s and cross the t’s in the coming period. We hope to maximise our time for this in the run-up to our home race in Assen, the third weekend of April. We are extremely proud to be able to do this together with our partners and Dutch companies, we cannot wait for our team presentation where we will introduce our riders and present Ten Kate Racing’s vision for the future. I expect we will surprise people with what our bike will look like.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Almost 600,000 spectators witnessed the thrilling action throughout the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship as Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed his second title despite fierce competition from Toprak Razgatlioglu as he raced for the Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK outfit during his final season in blue. With the title decided at the final round of the season, fans came in their droves to watch the action unfold and witnesses incredible fights, intense rivalries, and a lot more during an unforgettable year.

THE OVERALL PICTURE: big attendances across the board

A total of 593,369 spectators came to watch the WorldSBK title fight unfold throughout the year as the Championship travelled to nine different countries around the world. Each Round was attended by an average of just under 50,000 people each to highlight the attraction of WorldSBK and the stunning action on-track, as well as the off-track entertainment and being able to get close to your favourite riders at the podium ceremonies and at the Paddock Show. Overall, this is a growth of 8.22%.

THE MOST-ATTENDED EVENT: magical Misano and the Ducatisti celebrate

WorldSBK rocked up to the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” for the fifth round of the season, and it was one the passionate Italian fans won’t forget. Bautista took his fourth hat-trick of the 2023 season at the time on his manufacturer’s home soil, with Ducati running a special yellow livery in Race 2 as they took a nod to the past. The 70,815-strong crowd also got to cheer a double podium for Bautista’s teammate, Michael Ruben Rinaldi, a first rostrum of 2023 for Axel Bassani at Motocorsa Racing and Danilo Petrucci’s (Barni Spark Racing Team) breakthrough weekend, even if the results didn’t reflect his pace.

BIGGEST GROWTH: huge increases at events

There were two events in 2023 which recorded attendance growth of more than 40% this year. At Most, a round which will live long in the memory thanks to the incredible Bautista vs Razgatlioglu fight, there was a 45% increase compared to last year. And then, at Jerez, there was another huge increase compared to the last time WorldSBK visited there without restrictions in 2019. A massive 42% increase in spectators was recorded for the season finale, which was the host of one of the best races ever as the top two in the Championship passed each other 38 times in the last ten laps.

OTHER NEWS: increases all round

While Most and Jerez headline the increase in spectators thanks to their incredible swell, there was also good news at other circuits. Across the season, venues recorded a higher attendance compared to before with the values ranging from between 4.4% to 15% as fans flocked to watch the stunning WorldSBK action throughout the year.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) wrapped up the FIM Supersport World Championship title in stunning fashion at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve with victory in Race 1. Following on from his 2023 title success, the Italian star sat down to discuss his incredible success. From being in a difficult moment when he joined Aruba Ducati in WorldSSP, to fending off his rivals and his team being ‘like a home’, the #11 opened up about his journey to becoming a World Champion and much more in an in-depth interview.

BULEGA REVIEWS 2023: “we are World Champions, and this is the most important thing”

Bulega joined WorldSSP for the 2022 season and was immediately on the pace as Ducati returned to the Championship, introducing the new Panigale V2 machine. He took nine podiums in his rookie season, before a first win came at the start of the 2023 season. From there, the #11 didn’t look back as he took 16 wins in total, and 14 when this interview was conducted, wrapping up the World Championship with three races to go. Victory in Race 1 at Portimao handed him the crown as he fended off Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) despite the Italian’s best efforts.

Reflecting on his title success before the season-ending Spanish Round, next year’s factory Ducati rider in WorldSBK said: “My team did an incredible job. They worked very hard on the bike. I enjoyed these two years a lot. Our goal was to win the Championship with me and my team and, in the end, we did it. We are World Champions, not ‘only I am World Champion’. It means a lot of things. To be World Champion is something that cannot happen every year. It’s something special. It’s a season that I will remember for all my life. I am very happy.

“Until Jerez, I won 14 races and Ducati won 15 in total. It means that me and my team are making the difference. People can think what they want but, in the end, we are World Champions, and this is the most important thing. I think I had an incredible package but maybe we are the only ones to bring out the best from this bike. Thanks to all my team because they gave me an incredible package. Not only the bike because it was important to have a good bike, but they gave me everything to be World Champion.”

THE SECOND CHAPTER: “maybe it was the second chance of my life…”

The Italian’s journey to being crowned was not an easy one. He won the CEV Moto3™ Junior World Championship in 2015 and took two podiums in Moto3™ in three full campaigns. Both came in 2016, at Jerez and Motegi, before he moved to Moto2™ for 2019. A best Championship finish of 17^th followed before he made the switch to WorldSSP, where he wrote the latest chapter of his illustrious career by being crowned World Champion.

Looking back on his path to success, the 24-year-old said: “When I won the Junior World Championship in 2015, everybody was speaking about me as the next MotoGP™ Champion. Too many things that I didn’t want to hear. They gave me more pressure and I didn’t need it at that time, I was too young. I was 16 years old, in my first year of the World Championship. I was just having fun with my bike. Maybe I was not ready to feel a lot of pressure. When you arrive at one point where you are not enjoying riding motorbikes, or going to the race circuits… this is what happened to me. The last two years in Moto2™ were especially bad for me. I was coming to this Championship in a bad situation and mentality because I was not ready to race.

“When I came to this paddock, and WorldSSP, I knew inside that it was my last possibility to be a professional rider. For me, maybe it was the second chance of my life. When I came to this team, I felt at home from the first test. I remember the first test in November 2021 and the first time I entered the garage to see the new faces and new guys to work with. I remember it very well because, when I went to sleep the same night, I was thinking, ‘Today was very good and I think there are a lot of people that I like’. This was very important. They welcomed me like it was a home. Every time, I needed something, they tried to help me; not only at the race track but also at home. I think, for a rider, it’s very important that when you stay away from home a lot during the year, when you stay in the garage with your team, it’s very important that it feels like home.”

BULEGA’S FUTURE: racing alongside Bautista in WorldSBK

For 2024, Bulega will partner Alvaro Bautista at the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team after earning the vacant seat at the factory Ducati squad. The WorldSSP Champion has already got his hands on the Panigale V4 R, having tested it on a few occasions including the post-Jerez test, but previewed what to expect from him in his rookie campaign and how racing alongside the reigning World Superbike Champion will benefit him as he adjusts in his rookie campaign.

Bulega said: “In 2024, I expect it to be difficult. The DNA of the V4 R is similar to my V2. A lot of things I had in my V2, felt good on the V4. I hope to be fast also with that bike. I’m happy because I’m going to WorldSBK with the best team with the best teammate. I think I can learn a lot from Alvaro because he’s doing an incredible job with the Panigale V4 R. I hope to be able to learn a lot from him, checking his telemetry, and I will try to understand a lot of things and then, maybe, in 2025 we will be fast.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

After all the expectations ahead of the Malaysian Grand Prix and his wildcard, it wasn’t what the majority had imagined for reigning double WorldSBK Champion Alvaro Bautista. The Spaniard came through for P22 in the Tissot Sprint and in the main Grand Prix on Sunday, had a steady and consistent race to finish in P17. Starting from 22^nd on the grid, he didn’t make progress but rode a solid pace to finish the race, taking profit of incidents ahead of him. He finished 2.5s behind fellow WorldSBK rider Iker Lecuona on the LCR Honda.

BAUTISTA’S FIRST WORDS: “I’m not making excuses”

Talking about why he struggled so much, Bautista confessed that his WorldSBK testing crash left a lingering injury: “It hasn’t been an easy weekend; I’m not using excuses but after the last WorldSBK race, we did a test and I crashed. I hurt my neck and collarbone. I felt pain but after two or three days, it disappeared. However, here from FP1, I felt like I didn’t have enough power in my left arm. I worked with the physiotherapist but it didn’t improve. It got worse and worse day by day and I was struggling a lot to make force with it.

“My crew chief, checking the data compared to other Ducati riders, said ‘why are you so fast like the others in the right-hand corners but you lose almost one second in the left corners?’ but the reality is that I couldn’t ride how I wanted. Again, it’s not an excuse; I’m very angry with myself because I couldn’t enjoy my riding at 100%. The good thing is that the Championship is done; I’ll go back to Spain and have a check on why I lost the power and try to get better in the winter.”

THE INJURY: “It seems the muscles are very compressed… it’ll be nice if I can come back again”

Explaining the injury in more details, a frustrated Bautista said of exactly what the issue is: “The pain is in the neck; it seems like the muscles are very compressed and they touch the nerves of my left arm, so maybe when I stress the arm, I lose the power. The neck is quite a critical zone so I’ll check well and try and recover as soon as possible. It’ll be nice if I can come back again at 100% but now the main thing is to recover well and then see in the future.”

IN CONCLUSION: “This was 90% of the problem… I couldn’t push or do my best”

Speaking in his debrief and going further, the #19 said: “This was 90% of the problem. The other 10% was the confidence and the setup; with this problem though, what you do with the bike is difficult to understand. I couldn’t push or do my best so it’s a bit frustrating that having this chance, I can’t use it.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) first MotoGP™ Tissot Sprint finished with the Spaniard in 22^nd place after an early-race issue cost him time in the 10-lap race. After starting from the back row following an issue in Qualifying, the double MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship title winner lost ground in the early stages, he was able to take advantage of rivals crashing ahead of him to finish between the two Repsol Honda Team riders.

SATURDAY’S STORY: Bautista responds to difficulties

Bautista started the Sprint from 22^nd place after having to go through Q1 based on his Practice times. His best time in Q1 was a 1’59.418s with his best time coming in his first run, with the Ducati star not able to set a time in his second stint following a technical issue. In Free Practice 2 on Saturday morning, the double WorldSBK Champion was 17^thbut fell back down the order in Q1 as he finished ahead of fellow World Superbike star Iker Lecuona, as the Valencian rider stands in for Alex Rins at LCR Honda Castrol. Everyone on the grid used a medium-medium combination in the Sprint.

As the race got underway, Bautista lost out to Lecuona on the run to Turn 1 and dropped down to 23^rd and last place. Bautista lost a lot of time when he ran wide at Turn 15 in the early stages to Lecuona and dropped back by almost 17 seconds down on his compatriot. Two laps later, Bautista gained a place when Repsol Honda’s Joan Mir crashed at the final corner, promoting Bautista – running his traditional #19 again – back into 22^nd place where he would take the chequered flag, beating the 2020 Champion and finishing directly behind eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez, who had his own spill at Turn 14.

HIS THOUGHTS: “we have to keep the positives and try to make another step”

Looking back on Saturday at Sepang, Bautista said: “Today hasn’t been our best day in the office. In the morning, I improved my feeling with the bike. In FP2, we were quite competitive and on the pace with the used tyre. In qualifying, we had a small issue with the fuel. I couldn’t do the last time attack. In the race, I had a problem at the start because the front fork didn’t lock. I had a bad start. Then, I felt it was a bit difficult to start the bike compared to the morning. I went really long into the last corner, and I lost the chance to go with the other riders. It’s a pity because the feeling I had this morning was good. I think I could be with the last group of riders in the Sprint. We have to keep the positives and try to make another step forward tomorrow.”

AIMING FOR MORE ON SUNDAY: “I enjoyed it… we are learning a lot very quickly”

Despite the issue in Qualifying potentially preventing him from improving his lap time and running wide at the Turn 15 in the early stages, Bautista revealed he was still able to enjoy the experience of his first Tissot Sprint during his MotoGP™ return. Although it’s not the first time he’s experienced a short race thanks to the Tissot Superpole Race in WorldSBK, he reviewed his Saturday and said he felt “more competitive” compared to Friday.

Bautista added: “I enjoyed it. In the morning, I felt really good on the bike. I felt more competitive than Friday. The problem we had in Qualifying was a pity because I think I could improve my lap time. In the end, we are learning a lot very quickly during the weekend. I hope to make another step forward tomorrow and keep enjoying it.”

Source: WorldSBK.com

After a difficult year for Honda in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, Honda took the covers off a new CBR1000RR-R machine for 2024 at the iconic EICMA show. On Thursday in Italy, Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) was able to give his first thoughts on the new bike he’ll race with next year, as well as where Honda have made improvements in order to move up the WorldSBK pecking order after taking just one podium in 2023.

Vierge was the manufacturer’s only podium-scorer, and, with teammate Iker Lecuona taking one in 2022, they’ve only managed two in two seasons. To counter this and try to become regular contenders, the factory have revealed the upgrades to their bike which include an updated chassis, aerodynamics and much more. View the full gallery of the new bike HERE. Speaking at EICMA, the #97 was able to discuss the new machine and explain where Honda have been working to make as many gains as possible.

Talking about the new bike, and where the focus has been, Vierge said: “Basically, everything is new. It looks really similar, but they changed many things. They are working super hard in Japan. Unfortunately, we haven’t tried it yet! I’m looking forward to jumping on the new Honda and seeing how it is. We are super focused on trying to use more power everywhere. We have a strong engine but, until now, we can’t use all the power at the end of the straights. The main focus is trying to improve the electronics with the engine to have a better acceleration.”

Neither Vierge nor Lecuona have got their hands on the updated model yet, but it will see its first track action with the pair in a couple of weeks at Jerez, when the team will test for the first time looking at the 2024 season. Vierge played up the importance of the winter tests this season as both he and Honda look to become consistent challengers at the sharp end of the field.

Previewing the test, he said: “I will test at Jerez and I’m looking forward to it because it looks amazing. It’ll be a crucial pre-season. It’ll be important to have a good base, have a good test because we started the season in February. We need to have a good season and it’ll be crucial to have a good winter.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) completed his first Friday back in the MotoGP™ paddock in 22^nd place after ‘not feeling so comfortable’ on his Desmosedici GP machine in Malaysia. The Spaniard is wildcarding at the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang for his first MotoGP™ appearance in five years, with the double MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship title winner concluding the day reflecting on where he can still make gains as he looks to move up the order.

THE STORY OF FRIDAY: lap timed gained in the afternoon Practice session

In Free Practice 1, the reigning double WorldSBK Champion was 22^nd out of 23 riders, with only LCR Honda Castrol’s Iker Lecuona – also a WorldSBK competitor – behind him. His best time was a 2’02.516s and three seconds off pace setter Jorge Martin’s (Prima Pramac Ducati) session-best time of 1’59.513s. Martin’s times were around a tenth away his best race lap record set last year.

Bautista completed three runs during FP1 using only one set of tyres, with a soft front on his bike as well as a hard rear for all 15 laps. His first run was seven laps including the in and out lap, with the Spaniard setting five timed laps in his first stint. His times improved consistently throughout the first run, ranging from a 2’06.566s to a 2’02.821s on his final timed lap. The second run featured three timed laps, including his best time, although he did have a quicker time of 2’02.431s deleted. The final run was just two timed laps, a tenth and two tenths slower than his best.

His first run in Practice, to determine the Q2 spots in Qualifying, was on medium front and rear tyres and he immediately found time as he posted a 2’01.233s. In total, Bautista – running his traditional #19 this weekend – completed 21 laps as he used medium tyres throughout. His best lap time came on the 20^th lap of the session as he posted a 2’00.370s to once again claim 22^nd place, ahead of compatriot Lecuona. In Practice, the Spaniard completed four runs using only the medium-medium combination. His third run, the first time he hit the 2’00s, was with two new tyres will run four was used to set his best time and he had a used front and new rear to complete the two timed laps.

BAUTISTA’S REVIEW: “I don’t feel so comfortable on the bike yet…”

Looking back on his first Friday in five years in the MotoGP™ paddock, Bautista said: “I started with the base setup from Ducati and maybe, because I was not pushing too much, for me it was too hard. We needed to work on it for Practice. This afternoon, we definitely improved the setup. I improved my feeling and also my lap time by almost two seconds. That means we made a step forward. I don’t feel so comfortable with the bike yet. We need to make another step for tomorrow. I hope to have a better feeling tomorrow. After the first day, your mind starts to work in the night and, tomorrow, the feeling will be a bit better. I enjoyed riding the bike and I’m happy.”

ADAPTING FROM THE PANIGALE V4 R: what does Bautista need to change?

The 38-year-old also outlined how and where he would like to improve on Saturday, with Free Practice 2 kicking off the action followed by Qualifying and the Tissot Sprint. It’ll be Bautista’s first Sprint in MotoGP™ although he does have five seasons of experience regarding shorter races thanks to his time in WorldSBK. Speaking after Friday’s action, Bautista expanded on how different riding the Panigale V4 R is compared to the Desmosedici GP machine and how different conditions are impacting him when compared to when he tested the MotoGP™ machine.

He said: “It’s very different. I only did a test at Misano and it’s a very different track from this one. The grip is different, you have more at Misano. Everything was a bit easier. With less grip, everything becomes more difficult and the feeling with the bike was not the same as Misano. Step by step, we are improving. Every time, I felt a bit more comfortable on the bike. I hope to keep this trend and try to improve. The way I have to ride this bike is very different from the WorldSBK machine. I cannot force the rear tyre too much like I do in WorldSBK. I have to re-adapt my style.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com