Álvaro Bautista experienced a roller-coaster of emotions during the Aragón round. He clinched victories in both races held at the Motorland Aragón circuit, significantly bolstering his position in the overall standings. With this performance, he has extended his lead to 47 points over Toprak Razgatlioglu. This sets him up with a potential opportunity to secure the championship title in the upcoming Ronda de Portugal at the Autódromo de Portimao.
Reflecting on his performance, Bautista expressed satisfaction in compensating for the setbacks he faced on Saturday. He admitted learning a lot from the previous day’s mistakes, which saw him retiring after two falls. “Today, I had confidence from the start, and in the end, we finished in the best possible way. I learned a lot from this, especially from a humility standpoint. In every situation, you must always be alert without overstepping,” he remarked.
Bautista emphasized the differences between his current championship situation and his 2019 experience. Back then, he lacked the extensive Superbikes experience he now possesses. He said, “Unfortunately, I made a mistake on Saturday, but today we managed to correct it. As I mentioned before, the story in 2019 was very different. Today, I have a much better grasp of the situation, understanding the limits and knowing when not to cross them.”
Having his family present at the Motorland Aragón circuit helped Bautista divert his mind from the previous day’s crash. Spending time with loved ones allowed him to approach Sunday’s race with renewed energy and motivation. He emphasized the importance of enjoying life’s good moments and not dwelling on past mistakes.
Bautista also shared his insights on Pecco Bagnaia’s crash during the long race of the Indian Grand Prix. He believes that Bagnaia will quickly bounce back and regain his form on the Desmosedici GP23. “I imagine Pecco is bitter and will spend the week reflecting on today’s mistake. However, he’s fortunate that another race is just around the corner, and I’m convinced he’ll be swift in Japan come Sunday,” Bautista commented.
Regarding his championship prospects, Bautista stated, “I’m not interested in doing the math for the title.” He remains focused on his performance, taking things race by race, and leveraging the knowledge he’s gained over the years in the World Championship. He concluded by saying, “Bagnaia? He’s still leading the championship. In my opinion, last year was tougher for him when he had to make a comeback. Now, he’s well-acquainted with the situation.”