Alvaro Bautista clinched the 2023 World Superbike title today after winning Race 1 at Jerez in dominant fashion. Baustista finished the race just under 1.2 seconds ahead of Toprak Razgatlioglu. Razgatlioglu’s chances at the title were eliminated in that moment and the celebrations began. Baustisa changed into his gold race suit for the victory lap and podium celebrations as the fans cheered. The win marks two world championships in a row for Bautista. He has already committed to a return next season.
After the celebrations Bautista had the following words, “It was an unforgettable year also because we managed to win by beating the competition of strong riders like Toprak and Johnny. Defending a title is always very difficult and for this reason I am really proud of what we have done this season. I chose at the beginning of the year to put the number one on the bike to make this challenge even more exciting. I want to thank the whole team for the extraordinary work that has allowed me to have a fantastic feeling with the Panigale V4R.
My goal was to have fun and I had a great time. And thanks of course to Aruba.it and Ducati for believing in me. To win here, in front of my family and so many fans was an immense joy. Next season we have an even tougher challenge ahead of us, also because of the new rules regarding weight balance. But now it’s time to celebrate, even if only for a few hours, because tomorrow there are two more races and I want to continue to… have fun”.
Stefano Cecconi (Team Principal Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
“This result makes us extremely happy and proud not only because it highlights the extraordinary work carried out by Alvaro and the whole team, but also because it is proof that last year’s victory rested on extremely solid foundations that have allowed us to reconfirm ourselves. From the outside it may have looked like a season in ‘control’, but instead we had to overcome many obstacles, a few mistakes of our own, and opponents who were, as always, incredibly tough.
However, Alvaro and the whole team have always reacted with clear ideas, strong determination, and also some masterpieces like the last race at Portimao that I think will remain in the books of Superbike. That between Aruba.it and Ducati is a close collaboration, based on pillars such as technological innovation and performance but always accompanied by maximum reliability and sustainability. Being protagonists of successes that will remain in our history and in the history of Borgo Panigale is for us a source of deep satisfaction. Next season we will celebrate 10 years of this partnership that has seen us united and determined, both in the paddock and in our everyday work regarding IT and Cloud projects.
We are now reaping the fruits of long and intense work, with the hope and conviction that we will be able to remain so competitive in the future. I want to take this opportunity to thank our riders, all the team members, all the people of Ducati, and in particular Claudio Domenicali, Luigi Dall’Igna, Paolo Ciabatti, and Marco Zambenedetti, who have provided us with extraordinary bikes that the whole world envies us”.
Claudio Domenicali (Ducati CEO) Shared his Thoughts on the Title Win
“In this historic moment of the Superbike World Championship, Alvaro Bautista and the Ducati Panigale V4 R are the best combination an enthusiast could wish for. The incredible performance offered by the motorcycle and the technical and psychological mastery with which Bautista has managed this season, setting a new record for victories in a single Championship, have created a great spectacle in every race weekend.
The Bautista-Panigale V4 R combination has made it possible to achieve a result that fills us with joy and gives value to all the choices made in recent years by Ducati in WorldSBK. The reconfirmation of the World Riders’ Title, in addition to the World Manufacturers’ Title, is not something to be taken for granted: we have entered the 2023 season with the new Panigale V4 R characterized by a series of innovative technical solutions for the engine, and these have proven to be successful, confirming the Panigale to be the best motorcycle on the grid.”
Bautista has the opportunity to finish off the season with yet another hat trick. We the hard part done now he can focus on Superpole and Race to extend his win count this season.