The week after the Malaysian MotoGP Grand Prix, Álvaro Bautista underwent tests carried out by Dr. Angel Villamor in Madrid.

After consulting with the specialist and analyzing the cervical MRI performed due to the loss of strength and numbness in the left upper limb that arose after the crash at the Jerez test and during the Malaysian MotoGP Grand Prix, the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati rider was diagnosed with a C6-C7 cervical hernia and C5-C6 disc protrusion.

Further specialized tests are scheduled for the next few days to determine any damage due to nerve compression at cervical level.

At the moment, however, no surgical intervention is planned for the Spanish rider and current WSBK world champion.

O conteúdo Álvaro Bautista with cervical hernia and disc protrusion after MotoGP wild card in Malaysia aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Tyre pressure caused issues for several riders in the MotoGP Malaysian GP race, resulting in a series of warnings for the respective infractions, including the race winner.

The rules introduced in the British GP in August specify a minimum pressure to the front tyre. The first infraction results in a warning, and thereafter, time penalties are awarded incrementally – three seconds for the second infraction, six seconds for the third infraction, and 12 seconds for the fourth.

In Sepang, the stewards warned five riders for violating the minimum pressure limit. The winner, Enea Bastianini (Ducati), was one of them, as well as his teammate and championship leader Francesco Bagnaia, who finished third.

The other warnings were issued to Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team/Ducati), Iker Lecuona (LCR Honda), and wildcard Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Ducati).

The rule was introduced midway through the season, and in just 12 rounds, 13 riders have been warned for an infraction, with Aleix Espargaró (Aprilia) already being penalized. Thus, if nothing is changed, there may be several penalties and consequences for the quality of the races – especially because the idea is for disqualification to be the sanction in the future.

O conteúdo Enea Bastianini, Francesco Bagnaia among several riders warned about tyre pressure in the Malaysian GP aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Álvaro Bautista returns to MotoGP this weekend as a wildcard for Ducati in the Malaysian GP. The World Superbike rider will be riding the Desmosedici GP23 in Sepang, a circuit he likes, and there is some expectation surrounding him.

The two-time Superbike world champion emphasized that his goal is, above all, to have fun, without focusing on results: ‘The expectations… nothing about the results, I’ll just try to have some fun, I’ll try to have a good feeling with the bike. Because it’s not the same to do a test, where you can try and you can get the pace step by step. But here it’s a really difficult track – I like a lot. The important thing is to have the feeling with the bike as soon as possible to get a good pace and try to have fun. About the result I don’t have expectations; I’ll just try to get the best feeling with the bike and try to do my best. And for sure to have fun, that’s the target’.

This season, Dani Pedrosa was in the fight for the podium at the San Marino GP in one of his two wildcards for KTM, but Bautista emphasized that their situations are opposite: ‘Especially for everybody is like to put more pressure on me, because they say: «If Dani can do it…». But we are in a different situation, because Dani has a lot of kilometers on KTM and he is really fast in Misano. For sure he missed some racing pace and I think he even can do better because missing the races it’s always more difficult when you have to race with other riders. In my case it’s the opposite: I have race pace, but I miss some experience with this bike. For that it’s importante to get the feeling with the bike as soon as possible and the rest we’ll see. For sure it’s good to see Dani fighting for those positions, but in this case for me maybe it’s not too good, because it’s like «if Dani can do it, maybe you can do it too». But we are in different situations for sure’.

In 2006, Troy Bayliss came from WSBK for a wildcard in MotoGP and achieved victory. Another comparison that Bautista considers not to be possible: ‘That time was so different from now. In that time it wasn’t the same tyre for everybody, they were using different tyres. It was a different situation and for sure I think now it’s quite impossible to do what Troy did in 2006. Also the level of the category is very, very close. Even if you are close about the lap time, maybe in the position you are too far, because there are 20 riders in one second. To be maybe 0.7s away from the first it’s a really nice time, but in the position is very back. So I don’t want to see the position, for me the performance that I can do this weekend it’s the important thing’.

O conteúdo Álvaro Bautista doesn’t expect results in Sepang and rejects comparisons with Dani Pedrosa and Troy Bayliss aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Álvaro Bautista returns to MotoGP next week as a Ducati wildcard in the Malaysian GP. The rider has dominated the World Superbike Championship, but he will find a premier class very different from the one he knew before leaving at the end of 2018. There are no expectations for results, but that won’t stop him from fighting at the top if he has the chance.

In an interview with GPOne.com, the Spanish rider reiterated that this will be a race to have fun and do the best possible job: ‘Sepang is a bonus for me. I hope to have a good feeling with the bike, work well throughout the weekend, and have fun. I have no expectations in terms of results. I will try to do the best I can and enjoy the track, which is beautiful, and I miss it because we haven’t raced there’.

Although he doesn’t expect results, Bautista admitted that he won’t pass up the opportunity to fight at the top if he has a chance: ‘I’m not worried about the idea of being able to be in the group of the best. The level is very high, and I would sign up now to be in that situation! However, I imagine that if I found myself in that situation, the important thing would be not to make a mess. If I could win both races, I would win both; otherwise, no. We’ll see what happens. I’m certainly happy to be in that weekend; they are fighting for the championship, and it will be a very good race to watch’.

O conteúdo ‘If I could win both races in Sepang, I would’ – Álvaro Bautista aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Álvaro Bautista completed the second day of World Superbike Championship testing in Jerez on Wednesday. One of the biggest challenges for him will be adapting to the new mandatory minimum weight combining the bike and the rider, as he is one of the lighter riders on the grid.

The Aruba.it Ducati rider stated in a press release that this was precisely his point of focus during the second day in Jerez, explaining the challenges that the weight issue presents:

– Today, we were focused on the 2024 regulations especially with the weight. We tried many solutions with the weight. Putting some weight on some areas of the bike, also trying inside the engine, and did many tests to understand how the bike’s working. It’s not easy because when the bike’s working well, if you add 7kg, the bike feels different especially in the fast corners. We made some distribution to have more data and we got that data for this winter to try to work and try to see what could be the base for starting 2024.

O conteúdo Álvaro Bautista focused on weight rules on the second day of WSBK testing aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

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’.

O conteúdo Álvaro Bautista feels no pressure for the Malaysian GP: ‘The Goal is to enjoy’ aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

The battle for the win in the final race of the World Superbike Championship season was breath-taking, with a lot of excitement provided by Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Ducati) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha).

Despite the title being secured by the Spaniard the day before, neither of the two riders wanted to end the season without one last victory – especially Razgatlioglu, who bid farewell to his team.

It was the Turkish rider who came out on top in this intense battle. According to the official WSBK social media, from the tenth lap onwards, there were 38 passes between Razgatlioglu and Bautista before everything was decided. These impressive numbers illustrate the competitiveness at the top of the championship and already anticipate new battles in 2024.

O conteúdo Impressive numbers: 38 overtakes in the fight for the win in the last race of the WSBK season aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

With the riders’ world title already secured this sunday, the winner of the teams’ world championship still had to be decided in WSBK at the start of race 2, but Alvaro Bautista’s victory secured the Triple Crown.

In a race that was absolutely down to the wire and where Toprak Razgatlioglu even crossed the finish line in first position – but ended up being penalised one position for touching the green part of the track on the last lap – the winner ended up being Bautista, with the Italian manufacturer thus securing the team title.

Serafino Foti, Team Manager of Aruba.it Racing – Ducati, couldn’t hide his happiness at this achievement:‘It was a fantastic season, we managed to win the three titles and we won the last one right at the end of the last race. There are not many words to say except to thank our fantastic riders, the whole team, all the people at Ducati who work at home, and of course Aruba.it and all our sponsors’.

He also left a word of thanks to Michael Ruben Rinaldi, as well as not forgetting Nicolo Bulega, winner of the WSSP and who will take over from the Italian in 2024: ‘I would like to give a thought to Michael for these three years we have spent together. There have been three exciting seasons and we wish him all the best for the future. A special thanks obviously goes to Alvaro and Nicolò who have been the architects of an unforgettable season’.

O conteúdo Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Team wins Triple Crown at the World Superbike Championship aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Álvaro Bautista secured the Superbike World Championship title yesterday, but he shows no signs of slowing down. On Sunday, he won the Superpole race in Jerez, which was interrupted with a red flag.

Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha) had a strong start, but in turn five, he was overtaken by Alex Lowes (Kawasaki) and lost the lead. Six riders formed the front group in the early stages, and Bautista (Aruba.it Ducati) was one of them.

After the good start, Aegerter experienced engine problems with his motorcycle, which spilled oil on the track. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) crashed at turn five and had to go to the medical center, where he was declared fit. The track conditions forced a red flag interruption.

When the race resumed, it was limited to eight more laps with the original starting grid. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha), Aegerter, and Lecuona were allowed to line up despite retiring in the interrupted race. Once again, Aegerter made the holeshot. He lost the lead to Lowes but managed to recover it until Bautista overtook him in the second lap.

In the third lap, Lowes crashed after contact with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha) and sustained a facial injury, being declared unfit in the medical center.

At the front, Bautista and Aegerter pulled away from the competition and battled for the victory. In the end, the two-time champion crossed the finish line 1.487 seconds ahead of the rookie, who stood on the podium for the first time.

The fight for third place was much closer, with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki) narrowly beating Razgatlioglu by less than half a second. This was the first time in 2023 that the Turkish rider finished outside the top three, excluding the two retirements. Locatelli completed the top five ahead of Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha).

O conteúdo One more win for the double champion Álvaro Bautista at a red-flagged Jerez Superpole race aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Alvaro Bautista took yesterday what was almost certain, another title for Ducati in the World Superbike Championship and the team directors weren’t shy on showing their appreciation for such result.

Claudio Domenicali (Ducati CEO) even went further to consider this an historic moment, as he said in a team official statement:‘In this historic moment of the Superbike World Championship, Alvaro Bautista and the Ducati Panigale V4 R are the best combination an enthusiast could wish for. The incredible performance offered by the motorcycle and the technical and psychological mastery with which Bautista has managed this season, setting a new record for victories in a single Championship, have created a great spectacle in every race weekend. The Bautista-Panigale V4 R combination has made it possible to achieve a result that fills us with joy and gives value to all the choices made in recent years by Ducati in WorldSBK’.

He then also said this confirmed the current moment of the bike, which is ‘the best on the grid’:

–The reconfirmation of the World Riders’ Title, in addition to the World Manufacturers’ Title, is not something to be taken for granted: we have entered the 2023 season with the new Panigale V4 R characterized by a series of innovative technical solutions for the engine, and these have proven to be successful, confirming the Panigale to be the best motorcycle on the grid. At Borgo Panigale we work every day to support Ducati’s vocation for experimentation in the world of racing and this philosophy makes natural our participation in the top competition dedicated to production-derived motorcycles and the consequent transfer of the solutions onto the models intended for Ducatisti. I would like to personally thank Alvaro and all the people who contributed to this memorable sporting triumph, which for a Superbike motorcycle sees a close collaboration between those who develop the production bike – in this case the Panigale V4 R 2023 – and those who then improve it further transforming it into a true racing beast. A special mention goes to Stefano Cecconi, owner of Aruba.it and Team Principal of the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Team, who has worked alongside us for nine years and has been fundamental in taking Ducati once again to the top of the world.

As for Stefano Cecconi, Team Principal Aruba.it Racing – Ducati, he analysed such victory as follow:

– This result makes us extremely happy and proud not only because it highlights the extraordinary work carried out by Alvaro and the whole team, but also because it is proof that last year’s victory rested on extremely solid foundations that have allowed us to reconfirm ourselves. From the outside it may have looked like a season in ‘control’, but instead we had to overcome many obstacles, a few mistakes of our own, and opponents who were, as always, incredibly tough. However, Alvaro and the whole team have always reacted with clear ideas, strong determination, and also some masterpieces like the last race at Portimao that I think will remain in the books of Superbike. That between Aruba.it and Ducati is a close collaboration, based on pillars such as technological innovation and performance but always accompanied by maximum reliability and sustainability. Being protagonists of successes that will remain in our history and in the history of Borgo Panigale is for us a source of deep satisfaction. Next season we will celebrate 10 years of this partnership that has seen us united and determined, both in the paddock and in our everyday work regarding IT and Cloud projects. We are now reaping the fruits of long and intense work, with the hope and conviction that we will be able to remain so competitive in the future. I want to take this opportunity to thank our riders, all the team members, all the people of Ducati, and in particular Claudio Domenicali, Luigi Dall’Igna, Paolo Ciabatti, and Marco Zambenedetti, who have provided us with extraordinary bikes that the whole world envies us.

O conteúdo Ducati thrilled with Alvaro Bautista WSBK title: ‘It is an historic moment; The bike proved to be the best on the grid’ aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.