250cc – Estoril – Bautista takes the new Aprilia to victory, Dovizioso is second

He is the man of Aprilia debuts. Winning debuts. Alvaro Bautista wins his second race in 250cc, the first astride the new Aprilia RSA 250 with which he tested in the post-GP tests in Brno and, subsequently, in the race at Misano Adriatico. “Batigas” thus manages to enter the history of Noale: last year right here in Estoril he won (dominating) in 125cc with Luigi Dall'Igna's new creation (RSA 125), today he manages the same feat with doubled displacement, reintroducing himself as the #1 favorite for the title for 2008. It wasn't an easy race for Bautista, far from it: a bad start relegated him to 12th position at the end of the first lap. From that moment on, a furious comeback, overtaking and counter-overtaking until reaching the leading pair Dovizioso/Lorenzo during the 15th lap. Taking the lead, considering the pace shown, turned out to be a pure and simple formality, to the delight of the men of the Aspar team who also won today in 125cc with Hector Faubel. Bautista celebrates in front of a proud Dovizioso, second in front of a Lorenzo who is ever closer to his second world title, increasingly immersed in his next adventure in MotoGP (next Monday the first "public" test with the Yamaha M1 in Motegi). On the fringes of the podium were Luthi, Barbera and De Angelis, who proved to be the great disappointment in Portuguese territory. With Fabrizio Lai ninth (best of the private riders) and the KTM standard-bearers out due to mechanical problems, we'll be back on track in Motegi in seven days. With an Aprilia RSA, thinking about 2008, already a winner..

Race report

Andrea Dovizioso takes first place at Turn 1, holds his own against Lorenzo, Kallio, Barbera, Simon and Hiroshi Aoyama, with Bautista starting slowly and only twelfth. Julian Simon stands out on a positive note, racing into fourth position in close contact with his former KTM-125cc teammate Mika Kallio: the two offer a nice duel with Barbera at the back playing the role of third wheel. A completely different life for Locatelli and Takahashi, who crashed during the second lap, both looking for certainties in view of next season. The one who already has a contract in his pocket is Mika Kallio, but it's not clear what the convenience is: for the second consecutive race his KTM stops at the best moment, when he was third and very close to the leading pair. Bad luck for the Finn, two-time 125cc world vice-champion, the race takes a decisive turn with Dovizioso and Lorenzo on the run, behind Bautista he recovers and takes third, setting record lap times.

It is the reigning world champion in the eighth-litre class who offers new hypothetical ideas for the finale: he recovers tenths after tenths, Lorenzo in front is no longer a mirage, he is within sight, in contact with 12 laps left until the checkered flag . The long-awaited overtaking comes in the middle of the straight during the 15th lap: the next target is Andrea Dovizioso, already in the sights... Seven corners, we are at the "Gancho", Alvaro Bautista is the new race leader thanks to a perfectionistic attack on Dovizioso: from 12th to 1st, what a comeback for the Talavera rider!

“Batigas” is unable to break away, Dovizioso remains in contact only half a second behind, anticipating a final sprint for success: even on the 17th lap they achieve the same chronometric time, split to the thousandth! With Shuhei Aoyama flying off the track at the "Orelha" and his brother Hiroshi stopped (as previously Kallio) by technical problems with his KTM, the race comes to an end with Alvaro Bautista who will go on to win the second victory of the season, the first with the new Aprilia RSA. Second is Andrea Dovizioso ahead of Jorge Lorenzo, off the podium are Luthi, Barbera, De Angelis, Simoncelli, Simon and Lai 9th first of the private riders. Appointment in Motegi.

The "hot" declarations of the protagonists

Alvaro Bautista, 1th: “I started badly, then seeing that I felt good on the bike I started pushing hard. I saw that I was recovering a lot and therefore I was aiming for the podium; then when I saw Dovizioso and Lorenzo I tried and managed to win..”

Andrea Dovizioso, 2th: “It's humbling to race like this, it was a perfect weekend, pole, and then a good pace in the race. However, if one of the Aprilia riders uses the bike, he finishes in front! We must be happy but we are not 100% satisfied. I recovered 4 points but they don't solve the problems we have."

Jorge Lorenzo, 3th: “I'm happy because it's a good result for the championship. It was a decent race, Bautista deserved the victory. We had some problems and I wasn't at my best either. For the world championship it is still a good result..”

Alessio Piana