Third WorldSBK title “not my target right now” for Alvaro Bautista

Alvaro Bautista’s two wins last weekend at the WorldSBK Aragon Round appeared to reinstate him as one of the championship’s most formidable riders, but with an 81-point championship deficit his title chances are still remote.

Bautista entered the Aragon Round with the question of team orders hanging over his head, as his teammate, Nicolo Bulega, was only 13 points adrift of championship leader Toprak Razgatlioglu, who made his racing comeback at MotorLand after three weeks on the sidelines.

“Sincerely, before this weekend there was nothing about team orders,” Bautista told WorldSBK.com.

“But, because Toprak [Razgatlioglu] raced this weekend, we spoke at least to don’t be between Toprak and Nicolo [Bulega] to not take away more points [from Bulega].

“But, yesterday he was really unlucky, Nicolo, and he lost a lot.”

Bautista passed Bulega for second place in his charge to the front to win the Superpole Race at Aragon with a move at turn 15.

“[In the Superpole Race], I did that move to Nicolo because I saw that he cannot fight against Toprak.

“For that, in that moment, I say ‘Win, or third, you cannot be in between both’, so I tried to win, and at least three points [difference] are more than two points, for Nicolo.

“[In Race 2], I was just pushing, and the same: four points [difference] are better than five. But, for sure, I don’t know for the next round [if there will be team orders].”

Turning his attention to his own championship chances, Bautista essentially said that he’s relying on mistakes or misfortune from Bulega and Razgatlioglu to see him lift his third WorldSBK crown.

“For me, mathematically it’s possible, but I think— we saw in the past many strange things, but [the championship] is not my target right now. My target is to keep my confidence on the bike, to keep growing my confidence, and that’s all.”