If, at the end of this first of the three days of testing expected on the route of Sepang, George Lorenzo perhaps regrets having left his Yamaha for a Ducati, there is one who is, on the contrary, delighted to have exchanged his Aprilia for a Desmosedici. This is Álvaro Bautista, who returned to the Aspar fold. Apparently happily.
We weren't exactly expecting such a celebration even if, since last year and with a certain Hector Barbera, we know that we have to be wary of the private Ducati from last season. But Alvaro Bautista was delighted to surprise us on this first day of testing at Sepang.
Riding his GP16, he got the ball rolling in Malaysia by holding the best time for a long time, while showing consistent speed. The Spaniard is therefore not satisfied with a stratospheric lap before falling into line.
In the end, he narrowly missed the leading trio Ducati, losing by only 5 thousandths against the official Yamaha of Casa Particular in Viñales. Which means falling with honors. He is the best private pilot and he intends to continue his performance like this: “ It’s a really positive start. I left the Ducati in Jerez in November with good feelings. And I found them straight away ».
« I feel good on the bike even if today it was just about getting back into the rhythm, without making any big changes. We worked a little on the electronics to adapt it to the circuit, but we already have a good working base. It's time for us to do some quality tours ».
« When I tested the Ducati for the first time, I saw its potential and I maintain my objective of being closer to the leading men than I was able to be last year. We'll see if I can get a top 5 in every race. It will be complicated with all these factory drivers, but I believe it will be possible ».
