No one on the WorldSBK grid seems to have an answer for Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing) in 2023. Bautista has won 11 out of 12 races in 2023. The latest in his home country this weekend at Prosecco DOC Catalunya. This was Bautista’s third hat trick weekend and it feels like the championship race is already decided. Bautista finishes Round 4 with a 69 point lead over Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) who has 11 podiums this season but only one win in the Indonesia Superpole Race.
Bautista commented on the weekend, “The weekend has been perfect. We won three races and each race was a bit different, especially the Superpole Race. It was a bit scary in the last few laps because it started to rain, but not regularly. It was sometimes raining in the first sector, the next lap in sector three, the next one in four and two… leading the way was quite difficult because you never knew what to expect, the amount of water is on the track, so I was discovering the track every lap. It was the longest three laps of my life!
For Race 2, the conditions were similar to Race 1 but maybe the grip was a bit lower because of the rain in the morning. I understood the track and I can keep my pace. I’m really happy especially to win three races here in Spain, in front of all the fans and my family, is always more special.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu TUR Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha WorldSBK Team Superbike WSBK Barcelona 2023 (Circuit Barcelona) Photo by Lukasz Swiderek/www.photoPSP.comMichael Ruben Rinaldi shares his Comments
Michael Ruben Rinaldi was able to secure a podium in Race 2 after a crash in Race 1 and a P8 finish in the Superpole race. He lost out on a P2 finish on the last lap of the race. Rinaldi expressed frustration with the status of his tires, “Toughest weekend of the year as from Friday, I had the speed to fight for the podium. Yesterday, what happened, happened, and then in the Superpole Race, I fought for the podium and then the rain came.
In Race 2, I was second, but I finished the tire and couldn’t stand up! I almost crashed in every right corner and that’s why Toprak had the opportunity to catch me and pass me. It’s OK, as yesterday I didn’t race, and I didn’t have the experience of the tire or its drop. I didn’t have the strength in my hand to defend at the end of the race. It’s OK to finish with a podium after all the ups and downs.”
Michael Ruben Rinaldi ITA Ducati Panigale V4R Aruba.It Racing – DucatiSuperbike WSBK Barcelona 2023 (Circuit Barcelona Race 1) Photo by Lukasz Swiderek/www.photoPSP.comOther Notes
Hafizh Syahrin (PETRONAS MIE Racing HONDA Team) and Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) DNF’d after a Lap 1 crash. Malaysian rider Syahrin was taken to the medical center following the collision. Isaac Vinales (TPR by Vinales Racing) brought his bike into the pits and retired from the race. Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) retired after he had a technical issue in Race 2.
Razgatlioglu was able to overtake Rinaldi on the run to the finish line to take second place. The finished secure Yamaha’s 400th WorldSBK podium. Kawasaki rounded out the top 5 with Jonathan rea finishing 5th after not being able to catch teammate Alex Lowes.
Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing) who will be filling in for an injured Enea Bastianini on the MotoGP stage in French at Le Mans did not make it into the top 10 but comes away with points on the weekend.
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Championship standings