MotoGP Phillip Island, Free Practice: Alvaro Bautista “Happy with this first day”

Alvaro Bautista is satisfied with the first day of free practice for the Australian Grand Prix, the sixteenth stage of the 2011 world championship. The Suzuki rider improved a lot in the afternoon and tomorrow he hopes to continue to improve further. The word is up to him.

“Until this year this track hasn't been one of the best for the GSV-R and it was quite difficult last year. In the first session this morning I didn't feel any grip at the rear, but we changed some things this afternoon and this made a big difference. We also worked on the electronics and changed the mapping. At the end of the second session with new tires there was a big difference compared to the used ones. This track has very fast corners and you can feel the difference between new and used tyres. I did my best lap ever at Phillip Island, a 1'31 which isn't bad, but I feel like we can still improve the feeling and be a little bit faster. With the new tires you can run at a good pace for a few laps, but it soon becomes difficult to exit the corners and have the grip you need. We have improved a lot compared to last year and I feel more relaxed on the bike. I'm happy with this first day, but I will be much happier if I can continue on the path taken in the last few races.”