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Alvaro Bautista’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) two-day test at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” concluded on Wednesday as he racked up the laps on the Desmosedici GP. Taking advantage of the break between rounds in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, the reigning Champion took to the Italian circuit for the second of two days of action. The first day allowed Bautista to get used to the machine before making some modifications on Day 2.

On Tuesday, Bautista completed around two MotoGP™ race distances during his time on track for his first time on the Ducati Desmosedici GP since 2018. The test has been considered a prize for claiming the 2022 WorldSBK title after a season-long battle with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), with the Ducati rider claiming the title with a round to spare in Indonesia. He’s also started his title defence in style, with 14 wins in the first 15 races. 

Like on Day 1, the Spaniard completed several stints throughout the day as he increased his mileage on the MotoGP™ machine. He started his first stint at around 09:10 Local Time (GMT+2) for nine laps, before taking to the track around 40 minutes later for another eight laps. A third run got underway at around 10:30 for eighth laps, before another started 50 minutes later. Just after midday, the 38-year-old returned to the track for a 14-minute run. Six runs were completed in total as he added another almost 50 laps to his total, while he tried the soft, medium and hard compounds that are used in MotoGP™. 

Bautista’s best lap time was a 1’32.590s which came in his fourth stint when using soft tyres, with the time coming on his seventh lap of that run. Although a like-for-like comparison can’t be made due to differing track conditions and the test happening at a different time of the year compared to the San Marino Grand Prix last year, Bautista’s time would have put him in the top ten in Free Practice 4. The fastest time in that session was set by Ducati’s Enea Bastianini who posted a 1’32.295s.

Track temperatures reached about 50 degrees Celsius on Day 2 as Bautista tried different combinations of tyre compounds as part of his programme, including new and used tyres. The Spaniard also completed a couple of practice starts around the halfway stage of the day to get as much as experience as possible on the Desmosedici GP, while he also had a narrower fuel tank on Day 2 when compared to Day 1.

Reflecting on Day 2, Bautista said: “I’m so happy because from yesterday to today, I improved my feeling on the bike a lot. We started with a good feeling on the bike but on the second day, I felt much more comfortable and much more like I’m used to riding this bike. I enjoyed it a lot and it was so nice to work with all the guys here. Step by step, we made small changes on the bike to make it more for me and my riding style, and to be more comfortable. I’m really happy with this test.”

“The programme was that on the first day, we’d just get a first impression on the bike and the second day, we made some modifications especially with the ergonomics. I asked to have a higher and narrower seat, but it was not possible. I asked for a narrower fuel tank. They had it in the factory, so they brought it for the second day and it definitely helped me be more comfortable on the bike. We started to touch the setup of the bike a little bit, to adapt it to my style, and to go together in the same direction. All the small changes we made felt better and better and gave me more confidence on the bike. Today, we tried different tyres. We compared the soft and hard on the front. The feeling was quite good, better than I expected. On the rear, we saw the difference between the soft and medium tyre.”

After the two-day test, the World Championship leader’s focus once again shifts to WorldSBK. Round 6 is fast approaching with Donington Park the next venue as Bautista looks to write his name into the history books. It’s a venue he has yet to win at, but he did take second place there last year. Will Bautista be able to continue his winning form as WorldSBK hits the halfway stage of the season, or will his rivals be able to close the gap in the UK?

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