Alvaro Bautista took yesterday what was almost certain, another title for Ducati in the World Superbike Championship and the team directors weren’t shy on showing their appreciation for such result.
Claudio Domenicali (Ducati CEO) even went further to consider this an historic moment, as he said in a team official statement:‘In this historic moment of the Superbike World Championship, Alvaro Bautista and the Ducati Panigale V4 R are the best combination an enthusiast could wish for. The incredible performance offered by the motorcycle and the technical and psychological mastery with which Bautista has managed this season, setting a new record for victories in a single Championship, have created a great spectacle in every race weekend. The Bautista-Panigale V4 R combination has made it possible to achieve a result that fills us with joy and gives value to all the choices made in recent years by Ducati in WorldSBK’.
He then also said this confirmed the current moment of the bike, which is ‘the best on the grid’:
–The reconfirmation of the World Riders’ Title, in addition to the World Manufacturers’ Title, is not something to be taken for granted: we have entered the 2023 season with the new Panigale V4 R characterized by a series of innovative technical solutions for the engine, and these have proven to be successful, confirming the Panigale to be the best motorcycle on the grid. At Borgo Panigale we work every day to support Ducati’s vocation for experimentation in the world of racing and this philosophy makes natural our participation in the top competition dedicated to production-derived motorcycles and the consequent transfer of the solutions onto the models intended for Ducatisti. I would like to personally thank Alvaro and all the people who contributed to this memorable sporting triumph, which for a Superbike motorcycle sees a close collaboration between those who develop the production bike – in this case the Panigale V4 R 2023 – and those who then improve it further transforming it into a true racing beast. A special mention goes to Stefano Cecconi, owner of Aruba.it and Team Principal of the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Team, who has worked alongside us for nine years and has been fundamental in taking Ducati once again to the top of the world.
As for Stefano Cecconi, Team Principal Aruba.it Racing – Ducati, he analysed such victory as follow:
– This result makes us extremely happy and proud not only because it highlights the extraordinary work carried out by Alvaro and the whole team, but also because it is proof that last year’s victory rested on extremely solid foundations that have allowed us to reconfirm ourselves. From the outside it may have looked like a season in ‘control’, but instead we had to overcome many obstacles, a few mistakes of our own, and opponents who were, as always, incredibly tough. However, Alvaro and the whole team have always reacted with clear ideas, strong determination, and also some masterpieces like the last race at Portimao that I think will remain in the books of Superbike. That between Aruba.it and Ducati is a close collaboration, based on pillars such as technological innovation and performance but always accompanied by maximum reliability and sustainability. Being protagonists of successes that will remain in our history and in the history of Borgo Panigale is for us a source of deep satisfaction. Next season we will celebrate 10 years of this partnership that has seen us united and determined, both in the paddock and in our everyday work regarding IT and Cloud projects. We are now reaping the fruits of long and intense work, with the hope and conviction that we will be able to remain so competitive in the future. I want to take this opportunity to thank our riders, all the team members, all the people of Ducati, and in particular Claudio Domenicali, Luigi Dall’Igna, Paolo Ciabatti, and Marco Zambenedetti, who have provided us with extraordinary bikes that the whole world envies us.