Superbikes | Winter Test, Portimao: Alvaro Bautista finishes third

The winter tests at the Circuito de Jerez Angel Nieto and at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve were very important for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team which will face this year's MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship with a new bike, the The highly anticipated Ducati Panigale V4 R, and a renewed line up with the new entry Alvaro Bautista, arrived from MotoGP.

The Ducati Panigale V4 R has demonstrated truly interesting potential: in recent months the engineers have worked without neglecting even the smallest detail and in a few weeks the new creation will have the opportunity to show all its potential on the track.

Alvaro Bautista is still getting to know the Superbike and will have to adapt his riding style to the new bike even if, as the leaders of the Italian company have often said, the Panigale V4 R is very similar to a MotoGP™.

Bautista's debut on the Ducati was in Jerez when, at the end of the two days, he managed to record the fourth best time, less than half a second behind the leader of the day, Jonathan Rea. Arriving at Portimao, a track completely unknown to the Spaniard, Bautista managed to improve and conclude the winter tests with the third fastest time. In addition to the times shown on the table, the driver from Toledo managed to provide his team with information and data that the engineers can use to improve the setup.

“These four days have been really positive for us. In Jerez I concentrated on finding the feeling with the bike but we also tried some parts that Ducati introduced during the winter to help me find the best possible riding position. On the second day however, having better asphalt conditions, I was able to confirm the tests done the day before and I felt comfortable on the bike. Now I can say I'm starting to drive my way” – declared Bautista.

Arriving at the meeting in Portugal, Bautista, who had never raced on the Portimao track, used the first day to get to know the circuit and to adapt the V4 R to the track: "The first day I was always off the line and it was difficult to find the braking points. We didn't make big changes to the bike, they were small details and when I finally got to grips with the bike and the track, I started to have fun."

With the first round of the season upon us, Aruba.it Racing – Ducati and Alvaro Bautista will not have much time to prepare before officially making their championship debut, but they will still be able to count on another two days of official testing in Australia before the race .

“Phillip Island is a track that I know well and that I really like. The last winter test will be really important to find the best setup and arrive at the race prepared."