Alvaro Bautista has admitted he is still struggling to find a comfortable feeling with the 2026 Ducati Panigale V4 R in WorldSBK, despite a sixth-place finish in Race 2 at Magny-Cours.
The new Panigale V4 R has been dominant this season, winning every race so far. But for Bautista, it has been a tough campaign, especially since returning from injury.
At the French circuit, the first two races were below his usual standard: a crash in Race 1 and 16th in the Superpole Race. In Race 2, however, he fought back to become part of a Ducati top-six lockout, having started outside the top ten.
"This afternoon I could finish the race without many troubles," Bautista told WorldSBK.com. "Yesterday, my pace was to fight for seventh or eighth, but after the red flag I had a problem and crashed, so I couldn't show our real potential."
"This morning I also had troubles in the Superpole Race; with the SCQ tyre I was struggling all race, especially to stop the bike, and I ran wide and lost a lot. Otherwise, I think it was possible to fight for eighth or ninth again," he added.
Despite the sixth place, Bautista remains frustrated. "I don't find a good feeling with the bike, I don't find something that helps me push harder, and I'm struggling. If you see me, I'm suffering when I ride. But I always try to get the maximum, and today the maximum was sixth, so I'm happy for that," he said.
The ankle injury he suffered at Most has largely healed, but he insists the issue is more about adapting to the new machine. "At Misano and Donington we tried many setups, and maybe we lost the way. Here at Magny-Cours, from Friday I didn't feel too bad, so we decided not to touch the bike and build up confidence," Bautista concluded.
Read Also
Nicolo Bulega responds to Iker Lecuona's challenge with three wins at Magny-Cours. Now he aims to seal the WorldSBK title at Cremona with a 146-point lead.
Xavi Artigas won a dramatic WorldSBK Race 2 at Magny-Cours with a stunning last-lap pass, defeating Thompson and Seabright. Veneman finished sixth.
Nicolo Bulega dominates red-flagged French WorldSBK Race 2 to seal his eighth treble of 2026. Get the full race report and key battles.
Continue with Google
Discussion (0)
Join the Discussion!
Sign in easily to start commenting, replying, and interacting with other readers.
Latest Comments
No comments yet. Be the first!