Alvaro Bautista’s eyes are shining after taking second place in the first race of the French Superbike round. The day had started badly, with difficult tests and a qualifying time that had earned him 17th and penultimate place on the starting grid. Sixth row, a nightmare to recover so many positions starting from so far back. Instead, everything went the right way. The world champion started with slick tires and soon switched to wet ones. Those who want to recover starting from behind have to deal with the spray kicked up by those in front and that’s an added difficulty, a big one.
Alvaro found the right timing
“It wasn’t easy to start 17th! – confirmed the Spaniard -. In the wet in Superpole I didn’t have a good feeling and I don’t know why. In the race in some areas we had to pay a lot of attention, like the last chicane where on the first lap there was a big crash. I also took a big risk there but I was lucky”.
On the track that was starting to fill up with water, Alvaro had the right intuition, choosing the right moment to return to the pits and fit the wet tyres.
“When I saw the first drops of rain I thought ‘I have to go back because the sky is dark and the rain is coming!’ and so I was the first to return to the pits. I think it was the right choice. Then the feeling wasn’t bad and I was able to push more than I did in Superpole, I saw my lap time and it wasn’t bad. Then I just tried to resist until the end!”
It’s not hard to understand his exultation: “In the end I’m very happy with this second place in a flag-to-flag race, after starting 17th and with wet tyres, and in the wet with a dry set-up. I’m very, very satisfied. Honestly I was surprised by the feeling and the lap time, it was a nice surprise for me. I was able to push and have confidence in the bike.”
Tomorrow again at the back of the grid
But the problems are not over. Also tomorrow, in the Superpole Race, Bautista will have to start from the 17th position on the grid.
“We’ll see what the weather is like, it looks like it will be nice, or at least dry. It will be very difficult to recover from so far back in the dry, more difficult than in the wet. I’ll try to start in the best way possible, and to gain as many positions as possible also in view of Race 2.”
