Bautista: ‘I use the tyre better than the others’, credits MotoGP ‘riding style’

New WorldSBK champion Alvaro Bautista has pointed to his prior experience in MotoGP as the leading reason for why he conserved tyre life better than his rivals in 2022.

Robert Jones

01 Dec 2022

Alvaro Bautista, Ducati WorldSBK Phillip Island

Throughout the 2022 season Bautista was embroiled in hard-fought battles with Toprak Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea, before eventually pulling away during the final few laps of several races.

Aragon, Misano, Catalunya and Portimao were all cases in point as Bautista won at least one of the races by a comfortable margin despite facing intense pressure early on.

That’s not to say others have particularly struggled when it comes to tyre preservation, but rather Bautista being the difference in that area this season.

The leading reason for that is simple according to the Ducati rider: “I come from MotoGP and my riding style is completely different to that of other Superbike riders. "I am able to ride the bike much sooner. This increases the contact area of the tyre and gives you more traction than the one who keeps the bike leaning longer,” said Bautista when speaking to Speedweek.com.

"When the tyres are new the others are fast because they use the grip at the maximum angle, but after four or five laps when the initial grip starts to drop they start to suffer. Then my time has come.

"Due to my riding style, I don't use the high lateral grip as much as the others at the beginning, but maintain a very similar level of traction throughout the race. I use the tyre better than they do, quite simply."

Another area that was favourable to Bautista during the 2022 campaign was the top speed of his Panigale V4 R, which saw him continuously overpower Razgatlioglu’s Yamaha and Rea’s Kawasaki machines.

But although Ducati holds an advantage in that area over some of its competitors in MotoGP too, Bautista believes that is only one reason for his success, and that if the bike was truly faster then more Ducati riders would be enjoying success.

Michael Ruben Rinaldi Australian WorldSBK, 18 November

Bautista was the only Ducati rider to win a WorldSBK race in 2022 which highlights his belief that the team and rider play just as big a role as the machine underneath him.

"It's been talked about a lot. About whether the Ducati is the fastest or the best motorcycle," continued Bautista. "I don't think I should be asked about that, but rather Rinaldi or other Ducati riders. You can answer what the reality is.

"If the Ducati was the best machine, it would be like MotoGP, where many Ducati riders have been fighting for podiums and even victories.

"The machine is good here, but what makes the difference is the machine, the team and the rider. It's the combination, the whole package.

"The bike has to be good, of course, otherwise you can't win, but the team has to help you and give you what you need to be fast. Then it's up to you to make the most of what you have."