Alvaro Bautista’s steps toward his first WSBK title became even more solid after the round in Portugal. Now, with two rounds remaining, it seems that only Toprak Razgatlioglu can tackle the Ducati rider.
During the 2022 Superbike World Championship (WSBK), Alvaro Bautista has not only enlivened the title battle, but he has also become a strong candidate, being at the forefront of winning it.
Not only did he start the season strong, but he was also able to maintain a consistent performance on the Panigale V4 R throughout the championship and into the final stages.
Returning to racing for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team this year, after failing with the factory Honda team for the previous two seasons, Bautista seems to have found his reason for being on the track again.
So far; a total of 12 wins and 24 podiums have been scored by Spaniard from 27 races in nine rounds. That makes him firmly at the top of the standings with a collection of 448 points.
His closest rival is a star from Pata Yamaha with Brixx; Toprak Razgatlioglu. The reigning WSBK world champions are just behind Bautista, with 56 points separating them. And now El Turco is the only one who has a chance to stop him.
At least, that’s what was seen after the round at the Algarve International Circuit, Portimao, Portugal last weekend. On paper, the 4.5 km long track is unfavorable for the Panigale V4 R. In fact. Bautista won once and finished P2 twice.
This is a satisfying result because the rider is ready if he has to leave Portimao without a win, considering last year’s result in the Algarve, when the title duel heated up between Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea.
Portugal’s WSBK marks the final race in Europe for the 2022 season. If 2021’s round makes the battle even more intense, this year confirms Bautista’s lead toward the title.
Rea came to Portimao determined to return to the top of the podium. The last victory of the Kawasaki Racing Team rider was too long ago, namely last May at Estoril, a track which is also located in Portugal.
Five rounds passed, and the winner of the six WSBK titles did not win. Then came the Algarve, which was historically pleasing to him and Kawasaki. This could be an opportunity to rise again.
That hope did not happen. Rea returned home without a win. Worse, the chances of winning the title are slowly thinning. Now, the Northern Irish rider is 82 points behind Bautista.
Rea himself admitted after the disappointing result at Portimao that his position is now really tough in the title fight. The ZX-10RR’s not very-effective bike this season did not allow him to maximize his pursuit of Bautista’s pace.
At this point, the rider who looked like he could beat Ducati #19 was Razgatlioglu. El Turco is having a great second half of the season after a very tricky start.
In Portimao, Razgatlioglu twice took the highest podium, taking his win to 10. Now the title race seems to have narrowed to two riders, reminiscent of the duel in MotoGP between Fabio Quartararo vs Francesco Bagnaia.
Like in the Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing World Championship, Ducati is the complete bike in the Superbike championship. The Panigale V4 R performs well on every track. Bautista did the rest, making the difference against rivals.
Razgatlioglu tried them all, trying to keep the Italian manufacturer’s flagship not out of reach. He maximized the Yamaha R1, which of course was not as effective as the Panigale. Still, it won’t be easy for El Turco to catch up to Bautista.
“I’m not thinking about the championship.” It was his expression that had now become a mantra. He chose to focus on race after race. And the remaining three rounds (nine races) will be crucial because the gap of 56 points can still be pursued.
On the other hand, Rea, mathematically, also has a chance. However, if you look at the trend that has occurred throughout this season, his performance is the most stagnant compared to Bautista and Razgatlioglu.
