How Alvaro Bautista can clinch the WorldSBK title in Jerez

Alvaro Bautista needs just two points in order to retain his WorldSBK title while Toprak Razgatlioglu needs to win all three races just to stand a very small chance.
Alvaro Bautista, Ducati WorldSBK Portimao 2023
Alvaro Bautista, Ducati WorldSBK Portimao 2023

The factory Ducati rider, winner of a staggering 24 races so far this season, which is 18 more than Razgatlioglu, completed his fifth hat-trick of the season last time out Portimao.

Bautista would have won the title had Razgatlioglu not finished second in one of those races at Portimao, however, the Yamaha rider managed to give himself a very slender chance by doing just that. 

Had it not been for some inconsistent performances over recent rounds, Bautista would have won the title much earlier, but although that hasn’t happened, finishing 14th of better in either of the two feature races will be enough, as would be finishing eighth in the Superpole Race.

2023 WorldSBK title permutations…

Bautista wins the championship if he scores two points at Jerez.

Bautista wins the championship if Razgatlioglu fails to win all three races.

Razgatlioglu must win all three races and hope Bautista scores one point or less. 

In terms of the battle for third in the standings, Jonathan Rea also holds a sizable lead over Andrea Locatelli (50 points).

Rea finishes third if he scores 12 points or more.

Rea finishes third if Locatelli doesn’t outscore him by 51 points.

Locatelli must win at least one race to beat Rea in the championship.

With regards to the teams’ championship, Aruba.it Ducati and Pata Yamaha are separated by only seven points. It’s Ducati who currently hold the advantage and will win their second consecutive title so long as Yamaha doesn’t outscore them by over seven points.

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