Alvaro Bautista hails “incredible” Toprak Razgatlioglu battle in Aragon WorldSBK Race 2
“I think Race 2 was incredible because the pace, especially after mid-race, was amazing.”
Two race wins for Alvaro Bautista at Aragon made this weekend’s round the most successful of the season for the reigning champion.
Bautista rebounded from a difficult first race of the weekend, in which he finished fourth, to take victory in both the Superpole Race and Race 2.
“I was really happy for the feeling I had with the bike,” Bautista told WorldSBK.com, continuing to reinforce the point he has been making since Most, that he is focused on his feeling more than his position.
“Yesterday I had some problems with the front, I was not able to push to the limit.
“Today, everything was normal so I can push.
“Superpole Race was really fast, I was just in the limit trying to follow Toprak [Razgatlioglu] and Nicolo [Bulega]. I saw some battling between them, and I saw Nicolo very strong, so I say ‘He can fight for the win, so maybe I have to stay here in third’.
“But, in the last three laps, I saw how Toprak passed him, I saw him missing something and with more difficulties to follow Toprak.
“In that moment I say ‘If I want to win, I have to pass Nicolo and Toprak’, otherwise, if I stay behind Nicolo waiting for him, I don’t see him really prepared to attack again Toprak.
“So, two laps to go I passed Nicolo, in the last lap I tried to be close to Toprak, then entering the back straight I knew that the only chance I had was there (turn 15) because on the straight the BMW was faster than the Ducati, especially in fifth and sixth gear, so it was impossible to pass him on the straight.
“So, I passed him before the straight. It worked, because I can keep the good position for the last braking, and I just closed the doors. I was really happy because it was a really [hard fought] victory.”
Expanding more on the pass on Razgatlioglu, Bautista said: “It’s not an easy point. It’s important, when you overtake, to not lose the line, because then you lose so much acceleration.
“So, I tried to go deep and stop the bike and make a good acceleration, and don’t [let] Toprak make a better acceleration than me.
“I prepared the move, because when I passed Nicolo I passed him the same point. I thought I could pass Toprak here also. I tried and it worked.”
While the Superpole Race came down to a last lap scrap between Bautista and Razgatlioglu, Race 2 was all about the two riders’ pace.
“I think Race 2 was incredible because the pace, especially after mid-race, was amazing,” Bautista said.
“[The pace] was similar to the Superpole Race or even better.
“I did a good start, I take the lead, [but] in the first few laps I struggle a lot with the full fuel tank, with the weight, so I was just letting the laps pass.
“Then, lap-by-lap I start to get a better feeling on the bike — I can make better lines, I can force more the bike, the bike follows my strength.
“I was pushing every lap a little bit more, but I saw always ‘plus zero’, so no difference with Toprak.
“I tried to be concentrated, but it was not easy because I was pushing to the limit and I cannot make mistakes because he was always behind, I heard his engine.
“But the important thing is that I was enjoying doing that, I was riding to the limit in all the areas, so I’m really happy, more than the victory, for the feeling I had.”
