Alvaro Bautista’s form has largely deserted him in the 2026 season, but a strong resurgence was on full display as he fought his way back into the top-six during Race 1 at the Jerez WorldSBK round.
The Spaniard could easily have secured a podium finish in Race 2 at Estoril had it not been for a late crash, and a similar narrative unfolded in Race 1 at Jerez, though it was his grid position rather than a fall that ultimately kept him off the rostrum.
Reflecting on the challenges of the weekend, the veteran rider admitted that he struggled to find a comfortable connection with the motorcycle when utilizing the SCQ tyre during the critical Superpole session.
That qualifying hiccup relegated him to ninth place on the starting grid, though it still marked his most promising qualifying performance since the rounds at Balaton Park earlier in the campaign.
"I was very close to the podium, just one position," Alvaro Bautista told WorldSBK.com after concluding Race 1 at Jerez.
"Pero en cualquier caso estoy muy contento con el rendimiento porque las sensaciones con la moto fueron muy buenas. Today we changed some small details to improve and already in FP3 I felt quite good with the bike."
Detailing the specific mechanical hurdle experienced during the qualifying shootout, he highlighted how the sudden shift in tyre compounds affected the handling dynamics of his machine.
"In Superpole, when I used the SCQ tyre – that was the first time because in the morning I didn’t try – I noticed that the bike started to have very aggressive vibration and it was a bit difficult to ride. But in any case, I managed to at least start from the third row of the grid," he explained.
Despite losing ground during a difficult opening phase characterized by heavy bike inertia, his race pace allowed him to carve through the competitive field with a flurry of impressive overtaking maneuvers.
"I was more confident about the race pace. I did a normal start, but in the first laps I lost a lot because with the inertia of the bike it seems like I’m riding a truck! So, it’s not easy and I tried to survive in the first laps," said Bautista.
"Then, lap-after-lap, I can ride the bike a bit better and I can get my pace. I started to overtake other riders and I enjoyed a lot. I think I was the rider who passed more riders today in the race – at least in the front."
Concluding his assessment with high spirits regarding the overall machinery feeling, the team aims to harness these positive data points moving forward into the subsequent sessions.
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