Álvaro Bautista may not have been the fastest on the first day of the Most round in the World Superbike Championship, but he finished Friday with reasons to be satisfied.
The two-time world champion finished second in the second free practice session, which saw the best times recorded. He was just 0.103 seconds behind the leader, Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW).
However, as quoted by GPOne.com, Bautista expressed great satisfaction with the sensations he felt. The Aruba.it Ducati rider explained that he changed the bike’s setup and now feels back in control:
– We used a different setup after Donington, and this morning I immediately felt much, much better. I was able to ride the bike the way I wanted, and now I feel like it’s mine again. Moreover, in the afternoon, I improved my feeling and references even more. If before I was like a passenger on the bike, now I can ride it. There’s a big difference, and I’m very happy with the feeling and the feedback from the bike, even more than with the times and position.
Regarding the changes made, Bautista explained: ‘We took a step back in all areas, but not entirely. It’s like we made a mix between what we had last year and some of the new things we tested, and it seems it could be a good basic setup with the current regulations. I was convinced that finding a good balance was a matter of time, and I think we were able to identify it today. The feeling I had today, I’ve never had before this season’.