Due to off track issues with the Ducati.it Racing bike the team had limited track time during the Portimão test. Nicolo Bulega and Alvaro Bautista only rode in the afternoon session on Day 11 and a short stint on Day 2. Alvaro Bautista ended up crashing twice in the testing event in both dry and wet conditions. Bautista walked away uninjured.
Nicolò Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #11)
“I am pretty happy with what we did at Portimao, even though the weather didn’t allow us to do all the planned work. The feeling with the bike is positive, even if it is still not 100%. However, I am satisfied with the race pace I managed to keep, even though there are still a few details to iron out. I could have done better on the time attack if I hadn’t found traffic on the track”.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #19)
“Unfortunately, the conditions were challenging again in this test. However, we did some good work comparing the setup of the bikes. The crash was scary, but at the same time, I’m happy that I didn’t get hurt”.