WSBK Superbike Phillip Island J1: listening to Alvaro Bautista (Ducati/1), he won without doing it on purpose

Alvaro Bautista dominated Friday at WSBK in Australia under a hot sun, but he warned that the rest of the weekend would be very different. The World Champion's predictions couldn't have been more accurate as the rain drenched the first race of the year and the Phillip Island track with it. But the verdict remained the same: No. 1 finished first.

Alvaro Bautista seems in a state of grace on his Ducati. Not only is it impervious to the pressure of displaying the No. 1 on its fairing, but even drops no longer touch it. An assurance from which he benefits his box, as he points out when taking stock of a service close to perfection: “ It's not bad to have a race like this to start the season » he smiled before adding: “ When I arrived in the box this morning, I told my team: today the track is perfect, we are going to do great times! Then, when the rain came, Serafino Foti was very agitated, I had to calm him down because I was the calmest person in the world. Ultimately, in these conditions, you just need to stay calm ».

« No one had any references, so I tried to keep calm and figure out what the trail was like » adds the Spaniard. “ During the formation lap I noticed the bikes were throwing a lot of water, I didn't see anything. When I arrived on the grid, I only thought about getting a good start so as not to have anyone in front ". And he got off to a good start, but a green motorcycle did better than his red machine… “ I succeeded, but Jonathan was faster than me in the first laps. I was calm, I didn't make any mistakes. After a few laps, I saw that our pace was similar, but behind him I saw nothing, just the red light of his motorcycle ».

Alvaro Bautista: “ I wasn't thinking about escaping, I just wanted to see the trail and take fewer risks« 

A visibility problem that he resolved: “ I passed in front at a point where I was faster than him, without taking any risks. I wasn't thinking about escaping, I just wanted to see the trail and take fewer risks! From halfway through the race, the tarmac became even more slippery and I risked the highside a few times, but I was lucky. I'm happy because I was able to give the best of myself and make the most of these difficult conditions ».

He finishes : " I concentrated on my riding because if you start to relax you can make a mistake and in these conditions you can't afford that. It was only in the last 4 or 5 laps that I was able to fully open the throttle after putting 5th gear on the straight. In the other parts of the track it was impossible, the wheel was slipping, to tell you how difficult it was. The track was drying, the tires were wearing out and we had to follow the movements of the bike. Finally, in the wet, you have to adapt and learn ". While waiting for the other two races tomorrow, Sunday, he is already at the head of the championship.

WSBK Superbike Phillip Island Race 1: standings

Credit classification wsbk.com