Meet Alvaro Bautista: Former World Champion and MotoGP veteran
The Spanish rider will make his WorldSBK debut after 16 seasons in the GP paddock
Aruba.it Racing – Ducati have announced that current MotoGP™ rider Alvaro Bautista will join the team and the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship for the 2019 season, making his debut in the series after a long and successful career in the GP paddock.
The rider from Talavera de la Reina, born in 1984, is one of the key names from the incredibly successful generation of Spanish racers that has taken the motorcycling world by storm since the early-to-mid 2000s. Bautista first started making waves in the Spanish 125cc championship, competing against the likes of Casey Stoner, Jorge Lorenzo and his teammate next season, Chaz Davies, before ultimately winning the title in 2003 in dominant fashion.
2003 was also the Spaniard’s first year competing full-time in the 125cc World Championship. After a first season learning the ropes, Bautista quickly became a regular podium contender in the series before making a huge breakthrough in 2006. That season he joined the Aspar Racing Team and immediately became the championship frontrunner, winning eight races and finishing no lower than fourth. His total points tally of 338 was a record for 125cc/Moto3™ until Joan Mir’s 341 last year.
The following year Bautista stepped up to the 250cc World Championship, where he competed for three full seasons, winning eight races and regular podium finishes. In 2008 he finished the season as runner up to Marco Simoncelli.
In 2010, Bautista finally made his debut in the MotoGP™ World Championship onboard a Suzuki, partnering Loris Capirossi. The Spaniard has remained in the championship since then until now, nine years and 151 race starts later. His best spell was with the Honda Gresini team through 2012 and 2013, when he managed to finish fifth and sixth in the championship standings respectively.
This season Bautista has been a regular top ten finisher with the Angel Nieto Ducati, squeezing the best out of his Ducati after a slow start to the year, and will be back in action this weekend at Silverstone, the same track where he took his first MotoGP pole position in 2012. And starting from next year, his name will be added to the hunt for the World Superbike championship. With the talent and hunger Bautista has shown throughout the years, he will undoubtedly be one to watch.
Don’t miss Bautista and WorldSBK’s own Loris Baz (GULF Althea BMW Racing Team) out on track this weekend in the British GP. And follow all the action in the final four rounds of 2019 from WorldSBK with the WorldSBK VideoPass.
