Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) first MotoGP™ Tissot Sprint finished with the Spaniard in 22^nd place after an early-race issue cost him time in the 10-lap race. After starting from the back row following an issue in Qualifying, the double MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship title winner lost ground in the early stages, he was able to take advantage of rivals crashing ahead of him to finish between the two Repsol Honda Team riders.

SATURDAY’S STORY: Bautista responds to difficulties

Bautista started the Sprint from 22^nd place after having to go through Q1 based on his Practice times. His best time in Q1 was a 1’59.418s with his best time coming in his first run, with the Ducati star not able to set a time in his second stint following a technical issue. In Free Practice 2 on Saturday morning, the double WorldSBK Champion was 17^thbut fell back down the order in Q1 as he finished ahead of fellow World Superbike star Iker Lecuona, as the Valencian rider stands in for Alex Rins at LCR Honda Castrol. Everyone on the grid used a medium-medium combination in the Sprint.

As the race got underway, Bautista lost out to Lecuona on the run to Turn 1 and dropped down to 23^rd and last place. Bautista lost a lot of time when he ran wide at Turn 15 in the early stages to Lecuona and dropped back by almost 17 seconds down on his compatriot. Two laps later, Bautista gained a place when Repsol Honda’s Joan Mir crashed at the final corner, promoting Bautista – running his traditional #19 again – back into 22^nd place where he would take the chequered flag, beating the 2020 Champion and finishing directly behind eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez, who had his own spill at Turn 14.

HIS THOUGHTS: “we have to keep the positives and try to make another step”

Looking back on Saturday at Sepang, Bautista said: “Today hasn’t been our best day in the office. In the morning, I improved my feeling with the bike. In FP2, we were quite competitive and on the pace with the used tyre. In qualifying, we had a small issue with the fuel. I couldn’t do the last time attack. In the race, I had a problem at the start because the front fork didn’t lock. I had a bad start. Then, I felt it was a bit difficult to start the bike compared to the morning. I went really long into the last corner, and I lost the chance to go with the other riders. It’s a pity because the feeling I had this morning was good. I think I could be with the last group of riders in the Sprint. We have to keep the positives and try to make another step forward tomorrow.”

AIMING FOR MORE ON SUNDAY: “I enjoyed it… we are learning a lot very quickly”

Despite the issue in Qualifying potentially preventing him from improving his lap time and running wide at the Turn 15 in the early stages, Bautista revealed he was still able to enjoy the experience of his first Tissot Sprint during his MotoGP™ return. Although it’s not the first time he’s experienced a short race thanks to the Tissot Superpole Race in WorldSBK, he reviewed his Saturday and said he felt “more competitive” compared to Friday.

Bautista added: “I enjoyed it. In the morning, I felt really good on the bike. I felt more competitive than Friday. The problem we had in Qualifying was a pity because I think I could improve my lap time. In the end, we are learning a lot very quickly during the weekend. I hope to make another step forward tomorrow and keep enjoying it.”

Source: WorldSBK.com

After a difficult year for Honda in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, Honda took the covers off a new CBR1000RR-R machine for 2024 at the iconic EICMA show. On Thursday in Italy, Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) was able to give his first thoughts on the new bike he’ll race with next year, as well as where Honda have made improvements in order to move up the WorldSBK pecking order after taking just one podium in 2023.

Vierge was the manufacturer’s only podium-scorer, and, with teammate Iker Lecuona taking one in 2022, they’ve only managed two in two seasons. To counter this and try to become regular contenders, the factory have revealed the upgrades to their bike which include an updated chassis, aerodynamics and much more. View the full gallery of the new bike HERE. Speaking at EICMA, the #97 was able to discuss the new machine and explain where Honda have been working to make as many gains as possible.

Talking about the new bike, and where the focus has been, Vierge said: “Basically, everything is new. It looks really similar, but they changed many things. They are working super hard in Japan. Unfortunately, we haven’t tried it yet! I’m looking forward to jumping on the new Honda and seeing how it is. We are super focused on trying to use more power everywhere. We have a strong engine but, until now, we can’t use all the power at the end of the straights. The main focus is trying to improve the electronics with the engine to have a better acceleration.”

Neither Vierge nor Lecuona have got their hands on the updated model yet, but it will see its first track action with the pair in a couple of weeks at Jerez, when the team will test for the first time looking at the 2024 season. Vierge played up the importance of the winter tests this season as both he and Honda look to become consistent challengers at the sharp end of the field.

Previewing the test, he said: “I will test at Jerez and I’m looking forward to it because it looks amazing. It’ll be a crucial pre-season. It’ll be important to have a good base, have a good test because we started the season in February. We need to have a good season and it’ll be crucial to have a good winter.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) completed his first Friday back in the MotoGP™ paddock in 22^nd place after ‘not feeling so comfortable’ on his Desmosedici GP machine in Malaysia. The Spaniard is wildcarding at the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang for his first MotoGP™ appearance in five years, with the double MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship title winner concluding the day reflecting on where he can still make gains as he looks to move up the order.

THE STORY OF FRIDAY: lap timed gained in the afternoon Practice session

In Free Practice 1, the reigning double WorldSBK Champion was 22^nd out of 23 riders, with only LCR Honda Castrol’s Iker Lecuona – also a WorldSBK competitor – behind him. His best time was a 2’02.516s and three seconds off pace setter Jorge Martin’s (Prima Pramac Ducati) session-best time of 1’59.513s. Martin’s times were around a tenth away his best race lap record set last year.

Bautista completed three runs during FP1 using only one set of tyres, with a soft front on his bike as well as a hard rear for all 15 laps. His first run was seven laps including the in and out lap, with the Spaniard setting five timed laps in his first stint. His times improved consistently throughout the first run, ranging from a 2’06.566s to a 2’02.821s on his final timed lap. The second run featured three timed laps, including his best time, although he did have a quicker time of 2’02.431s deleted. The final run was just two timed laps, a tenth and two tenths slower than his best.

His first run in Practice, to determine the Q2 spots in Qualifying, was on medium front and rear tyres and he immediately found time as he posted a 2’01.233s. In total, Bautista – running his traditional #19 this weekend – completed 21 laps as he used medium tyres throughout. His best lap time came on the 20^th lap of the session as he posted a 2’00.370s to once again claim 22^nd place, ahead of compatriot Lecuona. In Practice, the Spaniard completed four runs using only the medium-medium combination. His third run, the first time he hit the 2’00s, was with two new tyres will run four was used to set his best time and he had a used front and new rear to complete the two timed laps.

BAUTISTA’S REVIEW: “I don’t feel so comfortable on the bike yet…”

Looking back on his first Friday in five years in the MotoGP™ paddock, Bautista said: “I started with the base setup from Ducati and maybe, because I was not pushing too much, for me it was too hard. We needed to work on it for Practice. This afternoon, we definitely improved the setup. I improved my feeling and also my lap time by almost two seconds. That means we made a step forward. I don’t feel so comfortable with the bike yet. We need to make another step for tomorrow. I hope to have a better feeling tomorrow. After the first day, your mind starts to work in the night and, tomorrow, the feeling will be a bit better. I enjoyed riding the bike and I’m happy.”

ADAPTING FROM THE PANIGALE V4 R: what does Bautista need to change?

The 38-year-old also outlined how and where he would like to improve on Saturday, with Free Practice 2 kicking off the action followed by Qualifying and the Tissot Sprint. It’ll be Bautista’s first Sprint in MotoGP™ although he does have five seasons of experience regarding shorter races thanks to his time in WorldSBK. Speaking after Friday’s action, Bautista expanded on how different riding the Panigale V4 R is compared to the Desmosedici GP machine and how different conditions are impacting him when compared to when he tested the MotoGP™ machine.

He said: “It’s very different. I only did a test at Misano and it’s a very different track from this one. The grip is different, you have more at Misano. Everything was a bit easier. With less grip, everything becomes more difficult and the feeling with the bike was not the same as Misano. Step by step, we are improving. Every time, I felt a bit more comfortable on the bike. I hope to keep this trend and try to improve. The way I have to ride this bike is very different from the WorldSBK machine. I cannot force the rear tyre too much like I do in WorldSBK. I have to re-adapt my style.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Stefano Manzi’s future in the FIM Supersport World Championship is secure with the Italian renewing with Ten Kate Racing Yamaha for the 2024 season. The #62 was a race winner throughout 2023 and challenged Nicolo Bulega for the title before his rival ultimately prevailed, but Manzi was able to secure second in the standings. With his future in the bag, the Italian will be aiming to go one step further than he did this season and return to the World Championship back to Ten Kate Racing after they last won it with Dominique Aegerter in 2021 and 2022.

Manzi made his WorldSSP debut in 2021 at Jerez and was immediately in the top ten, before returning for a full campaign in 2022 with PTR Triumph. Five podiums came including one win at Portimao helped him to sixth in the Championship, ahead of a move to Ten Kate Racing Yamaha for 2023. In 24 races, he claimed 17 podiums and four wins as he pushed Bulega in the title race, but the #11 was able to wrap the title up in Portugal.

A key theme of his 2023 campaign was making a step from Race 1 on Saturday to Race 2 on Sunday, with his best results in each round often, but not always, coming in the second race. He took his first win of the season on home soil at Misano, before doing the double at Imola as WorldSSP returned to the iconic Italian venue. The final win of the year came in an epic showdown at Portimao against Bulega, with the race decided on the final lap.

Speaking about the renewal, which also means he becomes a Yamaha Motor Europe contracted rider, Manzi said: “I’m happy and proud to become an official Yamaha rider. It’s not something I take for granted, and it feels really good to extend the partnership. We will need to work very hard to achieve the results that we have set as our goals in 2024, as they are ambitious, but I’m confident that if we continue to work positively, as we did this year, we will hit our target. I want to thank Yamaha Motor Europe and Ten Kate Racing for their faith in me and the renewal of our partnership.”

Kervin Bos, Team Manager at Ten Kate Racing Yamaha added: “We are extremely proud to be able to compete in the World Supersport class with Stefano Manzi for another year. Going into a second year together makes it a lot easier for both of us: we now know each other well and the bike will no longer be new to Stefano. We know his potential is very high and we are looking forward to fight for the top positions with him next year. We would like to thank Yamaha Motor Europe for helping to make this deal possible. We are very proud of our partners and sponsors who help us make this happen.”

Adding Yamaha’s thoughts to the renewal, Andrea Dosoli, Road Racing Manager at Yamaha Motor Europe explained: “It is a pleasure to extend the collaboration with Stefano; he is a fantastic guy. It’s a path that we started at the beginning of 2023, and he immediately proved capable of exceptional results, as we saw this season. With an extension for another year, we aim to capitalise on the experience gained and repeat the attack at the top of the WorldSSP Championship. After what Stefano has shown this year, we are happy to offer him a direct contract with Yamaha Motor Europe as our leading light in WorldSSP under the experienced and professional Ten Kate Racing structure. From our side, he can rest assured that we will do everything to put him in a position to fight for the title in 2024. We thank him for the confidence he has placed in us.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Jonathan Rea (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) made his debut in blue at Jerez last week and this week he’s engaged in his first public appearance with the Japanese manufacturer at the iconic EICMA show. Speaking in Milan, the six-time Champion expanded on his and his family’s history with Yamaha machines, how the Yamaha can be ridden with vastly different styles and what his dream would be come the 2024 season opener at Phillip Island.

FAMILY HISTORY WITH YAMAHA: Rea’s dad, Rea and his sons all linked

The Northern Irishman has a long history of his career but it all started back when he was a kid, with his dad on Yamaha machinery where Rea got his first taste on the PW50. Explaining how it feels to now come full circle with Yamaha, Rea said: “It’s so nice. It’s my first real PR commitment in blue and both Yamaha and the fans have been so acceptive, so nice. It’s a cool story. I started my whole motorsport journey with Yamaha, with the PW50; potentially the most iconic motorcycle in the world for kids. It’s nice to finally get a chance to ride a Yamaha. I’ve been competing, more recently, against Toprak and Locatelli. I could understand the strengths of the bike, I got my first chance to ride at Jerez and it was really nice.

“My father was a racer and he always raced with Yamaha, with the YZF range. I remember, his mechanic and helper, he could use a camera. My friends had a farm with lots of land and we’d go with our peewees and race. My father’s helper would commentate on the races, and we’d watch the videos back. I started to feel like my father, feel like a racer. My sons Tyler and Jake had PW50s and it’s really nice to be in the Yamaha family. I left a really nice team behind, but I found another great family in Yamaha.”

ADJUSTING TO THE YAMAHA: “you can ride it aggressively like Toprak or very smoothly like Locatelli”

The YZF-R1 machine, in the hands of the #54, was often seen with the rear wheel off the ground in the braking zone. Although Rea is strong on the brakes, he usually has two wheels on the track and at the Jerez test he revealed that he could see why Toprak Razgatlioglu rides like he does. However, the #65 also explained how the Yamaha can be ridden in several styles, citing Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and teammate Remy Gardner’s strong performances at Jerez to end the season.

Rea explained: “Toprak’s been doing great things with the Yamaha; we’ve seen spectacular riding styles. You only have to look at the last photo of the season. It was Toprak crossing the line in front of Bautista, but in the background was Domi Aegerter and Remy Gardner. They have different styles. The Yamaha has a big window. You can ride it aggressively like Toprak or very smoothly like Locatelli. The bike’s working well. I was quite impressed already. I was using the same braking references as I was with my previous bike, but with much more margin. When I compare the data to Toprak, under braking, I don’t have to do anymore to be better than him on the brakes. This bike accepts both ways of riding. It’s going to take time to understand my best way with the Yamaha. I have to make the bike mine; the position and fine tuning the last parts. We have a lot of time before Australia, the idea is to go to Phillip Island and be competitive from the first day.”

STARTING 2024 WITH A WIN? “it would be a dream come true…”

Back in 2015, Rea won his first race with Kawasaki at Phillip Island to give a sign of what was to come. It was a feat repeated by Razgatlioglu five years later in Australia when he made his Yamaha debut, and Rea was asked whether he could repeat this when the 2024 season kicks off in February at the historic Australian venue.

He responded: “That would be beyond expectations. The season’s very long. We’ve seen many times in the past that Phillip Island doesn’t always create the trend of the season. We want to be competitive. If we aim for the podium and aim to be competitive, why not aim to win? It’s a circuit I love. It’s like my second home, my wife’s from there. It would mean a lot. I remember my first race with my previous bike, I won there. It would be a dream come true to win at Phillip Island with Yamaha.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Andrea Locatelli’s (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) crew chief for the 2024 campaign has been revealed as Tom O’Kane, with the #55 announcing him as part of his team at EICMA in Italy. Locatelli, heading into his fourth season as a factory Yamaha rider, needed a new crew chief following a reshuffle inside the Pata Yamaha box which started with Toprak Razgatlioglu’s departure and Jonathan Rea’s arrival.

‘Loka’ had worked with two-time WorldSSP Champion Andrew Pitt in his three seasons since graduating from WorldSSP, with the pair taking 14 podiums together. However, Razgatlioglu’s move to BMW and his crew chief, Phil Marron, following him opened up a vacancy inside the box. With six-time Champion Rea moving into the team, Pitt switched sides in the box to link-up with his former teammate.

This opened up a seat on the Italian’s side of the box which was previously described by Team Principal Paul Denning as a very exciting arrival, with the team due to announce later this month. However, Locatelli revealed that it would be O’Kane who was his crew chief next year. O’Kane has worked inside the MotoGP™ paddock for a long time, bringing vast experience to Pata Yamaha, and also worked with Denning previously. His experience mostly recently was with Yamaha’s MotoGP™ test team but, previously, he was with the Suzuki test team.

Discussing his new crew chief for 2024, Locatelli said: “I think, after three years, it was important to try and find something new. My new crew chief is Tom O’Kane from Yamaha MotoGP™. I know him because he’s a really big name in the paddock, especially in the MotoGP™ paddock. It’s really interesting to start working with a really high level crew chief and I think he can be really important for me to have a really solid side, especially from this area and the crew chief and electronics can be a really big step for me in the future.”  

Although Pata Yamaha started their 2024 testing programme right after the Spanish Round at Jerez, it was with Rea as Locatelli didn’t take to the track. His first time testing for next year will come in a couple of weeks at Jerez where he will get to try some new items, some that Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) used to go fastest at the test, with the Australian saying they helped him with edge grip and easier to keep the corner speed up.

Discussing the test, ‘Loka’ said: “After the race, we knew it wasn’t important to immediately try the bike because we were at the end of the season. During the year, we have some new stuff from Yamaha to try so it’ll be important to find good conditions. Without these, it’s difficult to try the new stuff. If we can find a good track with good weather, we have a lot of work to do. It’s important because we only have these two days to understand everything and then we’re waiting until January to be back on track. I think the work we do will be really important.” 

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) is readying up for a wildcard MotoGP™ appearance at the Malaysian Grand Prix, with the two-time MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship title winner on the Ducati Desmosedici GP at Sepang. In the press conference ahead of the Grand Prix, the top two in the MotoGP™ standings gave their thoughts on the Spaniard’s wildcard and what could be expected of him this weekend.

BAGNAIA’S THOUGHTS: “he will enjoy it a lot!”

Defending Champion Francesco Bagnaia heads into the Malaysian Grand Prix as the Championship leader, 13 points clear of his rival. He was the first to give his thoughts on the double WorldSBK Champion’s wildcard, praising the bike he will compete on as well as outlining what ‘Pecco’ believes a good result for the 38-year-old would be.

The Italian said: “It’ll be nice for him to ride with us and our bike. Our bike is incredibly fast, it’s an incredible bike for braking and everything. He will enjoy it a lot. I think, if he finishes in the top ten, he could be very happy.”

MARTIN SAYS: “I hope he can be competitive!”

Although Jorge Martin, second in the standings, didn’t put an exact target on where he thinks Bautista will finish, he did express his hopes that he could be competitive in Malaysia. The Spaniard also reflected on the double WorldSBK Champion’s pace at the Misano test where he returned to MotoGP™ machinery as he gave his thoughts on the wildcard.

Martin added: “It’s difficult for me to expect some kind of result. We need to wait to see him. I think he had a great test at Misano. We know he’s a fast rider. He has some good points on the straight here, but the level is so high. We need to understand tomorrow but I hope he can be competitive.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

With Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) set for his first MotoGP™ appearance in five years, key figures from around him in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship have given their thoughts on the Spaniard’s wildcard at the Malaysian Grand Prix. Crew Chief Giulio Nava – who jokingly said he was there as a “tourist” before expanding on his role – and Gigi Dall’Igna, Ducati Corse General Manager, spoke on Thursday from Malaysia about the upcoming weekend.

EXCITEMENT AND INTEREST: Nava previews Malaysian wildcard

Bautista’s WorldSBK Crew Chief has travelled with the double Champion to Malaysia although it’ll be Marco Palmerini as his crew chief during the wildcard. Nevertheless, Nava’s experience working with Bautista means he will be able to help Palmerini and Bautista to set up the Desmosedici GP in the best possible way for the Spaniard as he makes his first appearance in MotoGP™ since the end of the 2018 season.

Discussing this weekend and his role, Nava said: “I’m very excited and very interested how far we can go with this new challenge. We can go through this quite relaxed because we already finished our job this season. Let’s see what happens. I’ve worked for a long time with him, so I know him well. We’ll try together with Marco Palmerini, the crew chief of the Ducati test team, to support him in the best possible way to sort out the bike with a reasonable setup for him and try to help him to have fun.”

A GOAL REVEALED: “I just hope to try to stay in the top ten…”

Nava also went on to explain how Bautista has had to adapt between the Desmosedici GP and Panigale V4 R he races in WorldSBK, with the #1 having tests on the MotoGP™ machine on a couple of occasions throughout the year. Not only this, but he also explained what he would like to get from the weekend in terms of results as well as the challenges Bautista will face.

Nava added: “Alvaro has a lot of experience in MotoGP™ so, for me, it was just a matter of recovering all this information. He had to put to the side how to ride in WorldSBK. We did a reasonable number of laps. He recovered all the skills he got, and he was reasonably fast. Of course, it’s one thing in a test and another in a race with the other guys. The tyres are different, the brakes, bikes, aerodynamics… there are many inputs that riders need to sort. I just hope to try to stay in the top ten. I think it’s a fair result for us. If we can do that, I’ll be happy.”

DALL’IGNA’S TARGET: “we want him to enjoy riding the bike, the weekend and racing with us”

A member of ‘Ducati Royalty’, Dall’Igna was also on hand to preview the wildcard when he spoke on Thursday at Sepang. Unlike Nava, he didn’t put a positional target on the record for Bautista’s return, but he did explain what he would like to see from the weekend, as well as praising 38-year-old Bautista for the work he’d done both in WorldSBK and testing the MotoGP™ machine this year.

“I’m really, really excited. Alvaro’s done really well in the last two seasons in WorldSBK, and we wanted to give a gift to him. I’m excited to see him on a MotoGP™ bike again. His feedback is really good. Not only on the lap time point of view, but he’s tried parts to help develop the bike during the season. It’s a nice story to tell so everybody’s excited about it. Seriously, we’re not looking at the results. We want him to enjoy riding the bike, the weekend and racing with us. This is the target.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Two weeks after securing his second MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship title, Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) is back on track. The #1 is gearing up for a wildcard at the Malaysian Grand Prix for his first MotoGP™ race in five years, taking to the track on the Ducati Desmosedici GP. It’s a bike he has tested occasionally throughout 2023 but he will now get to race it as he returns to the Grand Prix paddock and, ahead of this, he revealed his goals for the weekend and the biggest challenges he’ll face.

PLAYING DOWN EXPECTATIONS: “the level of the category is so high and so close”

While there has been some talk about great results for Bautista, the Spaniard was keen to minimise what can be expected of him this weekend. With it being his first appearance since the end of the 2018 season, Bautista made clear was to have fun and score the best possible result he can, but he didn’t set out a clear target for himself; instead hoping to be able to enjoy himself.

Discussing his wildcard and expectations, he said: “I’m so happy to defend the title with the #1 but now we are in MotoGP™ for this weekend. I’m so excited to race here at Sepang. It’s one of my favourite tracks and I miss this track. It’ll be really nice to come back and do laps with the MotoGP™ bike. To race again in MotoGP™ will be nice, especially with this new format with the Sprint on Saturday and then the race on Sunday. I don’t have any expectations about the result because the level of the category is so high and so close. Even if you are not so far away with the lap time, in positions you are a bit far. For me, the target is trying to find good confidence with the bike, try to enjoy and do a weekend from less to more. The main thing is trying to have fun and try to do my best.”

THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE: “there’s not too much time to get a good feeling”

Since 2018, Bautista has raced exclusively in WorldSBK, switching between Ducati machinery (2019, 2022-2023) and Honda (2020-2021). He has got his hands on the Desmosedici GP this year on a couple of occasions, once as a prize for his 2022 WorldSBK title and once stepping in for the injured Michelle Pirro. However, the double Champion revealed he thought his biggest challenge would be setting the bike up and getting a good feeling.

Expanding on the challenges he faces, Bautista said: “I think the biggest challenge is maybe to keep the other people calm who maybe think I can win or get a podium because many people are creating a lot of really high expectations! Keep calm and there’s no pressure on me to have a good result or try to repeat like other riders in the past did. This is the case, and I will try to have some fun. It’ll be important to find a good setup with the bike and to give my best. I think this will be the biggest challenge because we don’t have a lot of time, we have two Free Practices and there’s not too much time to get a good feeling. If I can finish the weekend better than I started, it’ll be nice. If I feel that I give my best and I have a good feeling with the bike, I finish the race saying, ‘this was the best performance I can do with the time we had during the weekend’.”

WHY SEPANG? “it’s a track I can enjoy riding the bike at”

The reigning Champion also discussed why he and the team opted to wildcard at Sepang instead of any other circuits. With three MotoGP™ races taking place after the WorldSBK campaign finished, the choices were limited but Bautista revealed why they went for Malaysia. He said: “This kind of track with the long corners and fast corners suit me very well due to my riding style. I decided to come here because it had to be a race after my Championship ends, so it was only Sepang, Qatar or Valencia. I just tried to push Ducati and Aruba to come to Sepang and they accepted. Aside from the track, the weather is also good; I prefer the hot conditions. It’s a track I can enjoy riding the bike at.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) will become the latest MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship star to make an appearance in MotoGP™ when he wildcards at this week’s Malaysian Grand Prix for the Aruba.it Ducati squad. There have been several others who have done similar – as a wildcard or replacement rider – with success falling their way. Will the double WorldSBK Champion be able add his name to the list of riders who stun when switching between paddocks?

THE BIGGEST STORY: brilliant Bayliss battles for Valencia win

Troy Bayliss wrapped up the 2006 WorldSBK title before getting a call-up to replace the injured Sete Gibernau at Ducati at Valencia. The Australian put his Ducati second on the grid, two tenths slower than the legendary Valentino Rossi. A crash for the #46 in the early stages allowed the three-time WorldSBK Champion to take the lead and from there, he didn’t look back. Leading 29 out of 30 laps, Bayliss came home to win on his MotoGP™ return ahead of teammate Loris Capirossi in second.

SPIES SURGES INTO TOP TEN: the 2009 Champion is strong on MotoGP™ wildcard appearance

Ben Spies’ path is most similar to Bautista’s, in that he completed his MotoGP™ wildcard a few weeks after winning the WorldSBK title. For the American, he took 12^th on the grid but showed why Yamaha opted to bring him across from WorldSBK to MotoGP™ for 2010 onwards. The 2009 Champion battled his way into the top ten to take an impressive seventh place ahead of a full-time switch to the Championship the following year.

HAGA STORMS TO PODIUM: home rostrum for the Japanese star

Back in 1998, Noriyuki Haga made a full-time switch to WorldSBK with Yamaha after several years with wildcard appearances. With the same manufacturer in the same year, the Japanese rider also made his 500cc World Championship debut at Suzuka. He took a remarkable sixth on the grid before Haga, running the #50 in the 500cc event, went three places better with a podium. It came after he took two podiums at Phillip Island, including a win, to start his WorldSBK season in almost perfect fashion. He’d go on to finish sixth in the WorldSBK standings that year.

SO CLOSE BUT SO FAR: Fogarty narrowly misses out on a podium

Carl Fogarty was on his way to second in the WorldSBK standings when he wildcard at Donington Park in the 500cc World Championship in 1993. ‘Foggy’ put his Cagiva machine fifth on the grid and was running in second when three rivals crashed out ahead of him on the first lap, but Fogarty ended up in fourth at the end. He ran out of fuel and had to coast across the line behind a trio of Yamahas, including Niall Mackenzie who took the final podium spot.

ANOTHER HOME PODIUM: Ryo takes Suzuka podium

Although he wasn’t a full-time WorldSBK rider, Akira Ryo was a winner in the Championship having won at Sugo in 1999. He made his 500cc World Championship debut in 2000 at Suzuka, before returning in 2001 and again in 2002, at the start of the MotoGP™ era. In his first two appearances with Suzuki’s 500cc machine, he took a best of tenth but the new era heralded success at Suzuka for Ryo, finishing second and only 1.5 seconds down on Rossi.

THE TOP TEN ON HOME SOIL: Chili uses 500cc success for WorldSBK glory

Although Pierfrancesco Chili had previously been a full-time rider, and race winner in both the 500cc and 250cc World Championships, his move to WorldSBK meant he returned to the 500cc World Championship as a wildcard at Mugello in 1995. Running a Cagiva machine, the Italian was the lead rider on that bike as he came home in tenth place. A week after his top-ten at Mugello, Chili returned to WorldSBK action at Monza and took the first of his 17 wins in the production-based Championship.

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Source: WorldSBK.com