Bautista seals historic Race 2 win, sets new all-time record of season wins

July 30, 2023

In a dramatic WorldSBK Race 2 at Most, Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) emerged as the star of the day, securing a historic 18th win of the season and setting a new all-time record of season wins.

The race took a thrilling turn as Bautista’s title rival, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), crashed out from the lead, handing Bautista a 25-point swing in the Championship standings. Meanwhile, Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) engaged in a fierce battle for the remaining podium positions, with Petrucci ultimately edging out Rea by a mere 0.073 seconds to secure second place.

Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) displayed remarkable resilience, recovering from an early setback when he ran through the gravel at the chicane. Despite losing time, Bassani fought back and finished just 0.061 seconds off the podium in fourth place. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) secured fifth place after a closely contested battle in the closing stages. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) impressed with a solid sixth-place finish, marking his strongest weekend in the WorldSBK Championship so far.

WorldSBK Race 2 Results
1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +4.652s
3. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +4.725s
4. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) +4.786s
5. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +7.538s
6. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +10.717s

WorldSBK Championship standings
1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 427 points
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) 353 points
3. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 251 points

P1 | Alvaro Bautista | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“I didn’t expect to win this weekend, especially after a really tough Friday and Saturday. I always believed in myself, tried to be calm and do my best. The Superpole Race was the key. I knew it was important to have a good race and improve the position from P14 on the grid for Race 2. I was fifth or sixth on Lap 1, I think it was one of the best starts of my life. When I was fourth, I was lapping similarly to the three guys in front of me and I thought P4 was nice for Race 2. After mid-race, I saw Bassani dropping a little bit. When it was two laps to go, I tried to close the gap and did my best lap on the penultimate lap. I was very close in the last two corners, and I knew I was a bit stronger than him there.

Third position was nice for Race 2. I had a good battle with Toprak. He always tried to put the bike on the inside at Turn 1. Even if we missed the corner, he was in front. One time, I tried to stay on the inside, but I didn’t want to miss the first corner to avoid him passing me exiting between Turns 1 and 2. He came from the outside and the same. He missed the corner, but he was in front! It was fun. In races, anything can happen until the chequered flag. It’s the good and bad thing about racing. I’m really happy.”