The question could not be more relevant since the Superbikes took possession of the Phillip Island circuit for their final tests, before beginning their hostilities. The same route will launch a season placed under this question: Jonathan Rhea will he manage to take a fifth world title which would be a record? The Northern Irishman would thus beat a certain Carl Fogarty. Who looked into the subject. And who hopes strongly in one Alvaro Bautista so as not to be overtaken by the Kawasaki official.
The four-time Superbike world champion, Carl Fogarty, brought Ducati many successes in the Superbike World Championship. It has not escaped his notice that, since 2015, the discipline has been dominated by Jonathan Rea and that, since 2011, Kawasaki has been at the top of the table. Ducati cannot defeat the Ninja. But this year, the Borgo Panigale firm is starting from scratch.
To break the domination of the Akashi factory, Ducati broke with the tradition of V2 motorcycles. And Alvaro Bautista was hired, a rider from MotoGP who already knows the V4 engine of the new Italian missile.
A duo which, according to Fogarty, will be able to break the green hegemony: “ the V4 bike is exciting for Ducati. Everyone is eager to challenge Kawasaki and Jonathan Rea on the bike “, Foggy said on Speedweek. “ And Bautista is the only one who can challenge Jonathan's title. He's stronger than Chaz Davies! I don't know if Alvaro is strong enough to win the championship, but I know he is stronger than Chaz ».
During testing in Jerez in November 2018, Baptist achieved lap times immediately faster than the second factory driver, Chaz Davies. And he took an advantage of almost half a second over Sale after the first test gallop at Phillip Island…
