In about a week and a half, Álvaro Bautista returns to the MotoGP paddock as a wildcard rider for Ducati at the Malaysian GP. This is a sort of reward for his World Superbike titles, and the rider doesn’t approach this participation with the pressure to achieve strong results.
In an interview with the newspaper AS, the Spanish rider explained that the main objective is to enjoy the experience: ‘The goal is to enjoy this wildcard. That’s why I chose Sepang, even though Valencia would have been more convenient for Ducati due to proximity. But Cheste is a smaller circuit, and you don’t get to enjoy MotoGP as much there. I don’t think I would enjoy it there. So, I chose Malaysia, a large circuit that I like, and I have more chances to enjoy it. Many people tell me, «Look at Dani [Pedrosa], who was fighting for the podium…»’.
However, Bautista clarified that he doesn’t see himself as a podium contender in Sepang: ‘Dani has many more kilometers on the MotoGP bike than me, he did many tests in Misano, and the situation is different. At most, I have more race pace, which is what he lacked to get on the podium. I emphasize that he was fighting for it. These are two different situations, and the results he achieved don’t add or take away pressure for me’.