SBK, Bautista: “I’m taking on a new challenge, I don’t want to cry like the others”

The number one on his fairing looks almost identical, but this is one of few things to remain intact in Alvaro Bautista’s world. The Aruba rider prepares to fight as world champion and the clear favourite, but in a championship that now looks quite different, making his battle more complicated. The Spaniard can nevertheless count on the best bike on the grid, as well as the possible difficulties that his rivals – not least Toprak Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea – may experience aboard new bikes.

“I’ve worked over the winter”, comments Bautista, “but after the Jerez injury and the Sepang race I had to spend some days at home, recovering. So I haven’t done everything I wanted to, although I have increased my muscle mass. I can’t gain 13 kg of muscle, and even if I did, I’d have to do another sport. I feel fit, though I’m curious to see how I’ll feel on the bike”.

Do you see this update to the regulation as being against you?

“It’s a championship regulation, though I’ll be the only one, or almost, to have to add ballast. I’m sorry because I don’t think it’s fair, but everyone’s accepted it and we have to work – we won’t cry as others have done.”

Bautista, the ballast and Iannone

How does your riding change with the ballast?

“The bike is harder to ride, I can’t close the turns, especially the fast ones, and it’s not easy to stop the bike either. Ducati has worked over the winter and now we need to see how we do at Jerez. 7kg at 200km/h is significant, so it will be tougher than it was last year.”

Might we say you’re about to face your toughest challenge?

“The changes to the regulation and among the riders shake things up but also motivate me. When everything stays the same, it’s hard to get excited but the current situation means it's easy to put in the effort. It’s a challenge that makes me even more determined to be better”.

What do you expect from Iannone?

“I welcome him. He’s strong, we’ll see what happens during the season”.