Alvaro Bautista makes major breakthrough at Most: "I started to ride like I wanted"

Alvaro Bautista was back in the groove after finding a breakthrough with his Panigale V4 R on day-one of the Czech WorldSBK round at Most.

Second overall on Friday, Bautista was just over a tenth down on series leader Toprak Razgatlioglu.

Asked if it was the best start to a weekend in 2024, Bautista said: "Yes, but it was easy to do the best Friday of this season because we have been struggling a lot. 

"But, today I'm really happy because from the last weekend in Donington we made some changes to the bike and the feeling was back again. 

"I feel good today. It was the day I enjoyed the most on the bike this season. It's been a long time since I rode the bike like I did today. 

"I'm really happy; not for the position but the feeling. I could enjoy and ride the bike like my bike." 

Discussing the changes that allowed Bautista to ride with freedom again, the two-time world champion said: "We made some changes to the set-up of the bike and it allowed me to force more the bike and to have more feedback with the tyres and to find more the limit. 

"I started to ride like I wanted from the beginning of the season and I felt like I could do it. 

"At the moment we need to analyse today because we made a big improvement with my feeling on the bike. 

"I'm not thinking about the front row or the position for tomorrow. 

"I just want to keep the feeling on the bike and make some small steps forward. 

"The important thing is that I can enjoy the bike. That's more important than the position and other things."