Alvaro Bautista destroys Portimao WorldSBK lap record, on MotoGP pace
The WorldSBK champion, who was third fastest last week in Jerez during the time attack simulations - Bautista was however fastest and the most consistent when it came to race runs - has begun to show similar form at the Portuguese circuit.
After being one of three riders to narrowly miss out on setting a new lap record during day-one in Portimao, Bautista immediately broke Jonathan Rea’s existing record with a time of 1:39.589s, which was set on his second bike.
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While team-mate and day-one pacesetter Michael Ruben Rinaldi eventually closed to within half a tenth of Bautista’s time, the world champion then produced an even better lap time on his first bike to go over five tenths clear of his own time.
Not just a one-off lap, Bautista produced lap times in the mid 1m39s over a period of 5-6 laps on race tyres.
What was a stunning performance from the Superbike champion got better as Bautista's time of 1:39.589s was just over a tenth slower than Fabio Quartararo’s best lap time from last year’s MotoGP race.
With just under an hour to go of the third session, Bautista remains clear of Toprak Razgatlioglu and Rea by four tenths.
Should Bautista manage to find over -0.036s then he will set the first-ever sub 1m 39s lap on Superbike machinery around Portimao.
Crash.net will bring you all the latest updates at the conclusion of the test, today.
