Alvaro Bautista seems quite upset with the rule change which now splits the race instead of a long distance. He believes that safety is sometimes relied upon excessively and that it would have been possible to maintain longer races with proper tire management. He points out that at circuits like Phillip Island, where tire degradation is a major challenge, a more strategic approach to speed could have been taken to complete the race without compromising safety.
His argument is based on the idea that it would have been possible to maintain a slightly slower, but more constant, pace, to preserve tires over time. He's referring to laps of 1'30"-1'31", slightly slower than qualifying times, but fast enough to remain competitive over the entire distance: " It’s easy to say it’s not safe. In my opinion, it would have been possible to do 20 laps in a row, but for some drivers, it would be difficult to finish it by achieving the same times as during the tests » specifies the double Superbike World Champion.
He adds : " it's a question of management: if we push in 1'29" the tire destroys quickly, but if we stay in 1'30"-1'31" we could have covered the whole distance ". He therefore regrets the destruction of all the work and strategy put in place until then for this first meeting of the season. WSBK ... " During testing, we have always worked for the best possible tire management ».
Alvaro Bautista: “ Phillip Island is a very special track, perhaps the only one in the world where to win you have to try to go there… slowly »
This strategy contrasts with a go-everything-up-front approach, which can result in premature tire degradation and compromise the end of the race. He also mentions that legendary pilots, like Troy bayliss, shared a similar philosophy at the Phillip Island track, where gentler riding and careful tire management were crucial to success.
Alvaro Bautista seems frustrated by the change of rules and thinks that a more flexible approach would have made it possible to maintain longer races, while ensuring the safety of the drivers: “ Phillip Island is a very special track, perhaps the only one in the world where to win you have to try to go there… slowly “, explains the Ducati official. “ If you push from the beginning, you won't make it to the end. So being gentle with the throttle and not overloading the tires, especially at the rear, has always been decisive here ". Yes, but other times, other customs...
