The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season is fast approaching, and, with it, team launch season is here. The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team became the latest to take the wraps off their 2024 challenge and a glamorous event in Madonna di Campiglio, Italy. Reigning Champion Alvaro Bautista was on hand to give his thoughts on the upcoming season, and he also provided a fitness update for the first time since his Sepang wildcard.
RECOVERING FROM INJURY: Bautista provides update after 2023 Jerez test crash
Bautista’s preparation for the 2024 campaign started immediately after the 2023 season concluded at Jerez, with the #1 losing running time after a crash at Turn 12. Despite suffering a slight injury, the Spaniard ventured to Malaysia for a MotoGP™ wildcard before he revealed the true extent of his injury after finishing outside the points in the Grand Prix. With months having passed since then, Bautista provided an update on his fitness.
Speaking at the Ducati launch at Madonna di Campiglio, the reigning Champion said: “I feel much better from my injury. I spent many weeks trying to recover as much as possible. I feel good now. The last test I have to do is riding my bike and to check that there’s no problem riding the bike. I’m happy with my physical condition right now. Let’s see how it goes in the test”
REGULATION CHANGES: where will Bautista be impacted?
There’s some big changes coming into WorldSBK for 2024, including a new weight rule and a reduction of fuel tank size. As one of the lightest riders on the grid, Bautista is expecting to feel the impact of the weight regulations more and the team were testing this back at Jerez last year. With running of the new rules under his belt, and a chance to have mulled over the data the team collected, Bautista expanded more on this at the team launch.
He said: “My biggest problem or the area we have to work on is the extra weight on the bike. With more weight on the bike, you feel it’s more difficult to ride it especially in the fast corners. With more inertia, the bike goes wide and it’s more difficult to close the corner. Also, for stopping under heavy braking, we struggle a lot. We will concentrate on this and try to be penalised as little as possible and try to be at the best possible performance.”
TESTING, TESTING…: back on track at Jerez this week
After a few months away, the WorldSBK field bursts back into action later this week with two days of testing at Jerez with the grid hoping for some Spanish sun for optimum testing conditions. Bautista will be on track for the first time since his injury. He revealed that he was ‘excited’ to get back on his Panigale V4 R with the #1 aiming to work on the new regulations as previously mentioned.
On returning to the track, the Spaniard said: “I’m so excited because I want to check how my condition is riding the bike, and also with the new regulations, we have a lot of work to do. We have to work a lot to find the best possible compromise with the extra weight on the bike and try to get a good level of performance before the first race in Australia. A lot of change for this season. To see all the riders with their new machines will be really nice to see. I’m focused on myself. I’m more worried about my work and feeling. That’s all. For sure, in the test, what we saw in the past is many riders going fast in cold conditions but, when the races arrive, they struggle. Tests are tests. I don’t like to see what the other riders are doing. I prefer to keep focused on myself, work as well as possible for racing. It’s always interesting to see the new changes on the grid.”
MORE HISTORY TO BE MADE: a chance for three in a row?
Bautista has already made lots of Ducati history, winning 59 races with the Italian brand, but he could make more in 2024. Should he overcome all the challenges of new regulations, new teammates and a grid reshuffle, the 39-year-old could win his third consecutive title. If he does achieve this feat, he’d become only the second rider ever to do it and the first for Ducati.
Although stating that it wasn’t a target for him, he did discuss the potential achievement as he said: “The motivation is something I give to myself. I want to keep enjoying the bike and my riding. I remember, I think this year, Ducati said, ‘nobody defended the title with Ducati and the #1’ and this year we did it. It’s not like a target to win three in a row. It’s to have a good feeling with the bike, keep working how we did in the last two years. Only one rider can win. We’ll try to be one of those fighting for that.”
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Source: WorldSBK.com