“Maybe too many laps” for injured Alvaro Bautista at Aragon WorldSBK

32 laps of MotorLand Aragon may have been too many for Alvaro Bautista during practice for this weekend’s WorldSBK round there.

The Spaniard enters Aragon this weekend having not raced in Most two weeks ago following a crash in FP3 that left him with ankle fractures.

Bautista underwent surgery at the beginning of last week and passed medical checks on both Thursday and after FP1 on Friday morning to confirm his participation this weekend.

But in practice the two-time WorldSBK champion perhaps over-exerted himself, he feels.

“Maybe too many laps,” Alvaro Bautista told WorldSBK.com after FP2 in Aragon.

“I think I have to do less because especially in FP2 I started to feel a bit tired the foot.”

Bautista, nonetheless, was pleased to be able to ride in Aragon having not had much certainty over when he’d be able to return.

“In any case I’m really happy because after crashing in Most I didn’t have any expectation to race here,” he said.

“But day-by-day I worked a lot and I was seeing the improvement of the foot. A couple of days ago I took the decision to try here because I felt not too bad, but for sure to ride the bike is a different thing than to live or to train at home. 

“This morning in FP1 it was strange because the first time I went out I had a strange feeling because in my mind the real foot didn’t exist. I mean, it was like I wanted to use it, but it’s like it doesn’t work, or something like that. 

“Then step-by-step it was much better and I could finish the FP1 with a good feeling. I re-checked with the doctors and they gave me the [approval] to continue. 

“In FP2, the feeling was improved a lot about pain, but it’s true that at the end of FP2 I felt a bit tired. 

“Now I’m making a lot of therapy and right now I feel much better. Let’s see tomorrow how I wake up, and then let’s see what’s coming.”