It's not the easiest weekend for Alvaro Bautista. This Saturday's result could therefore be one of the most satisfactory of the year. The current world champion finishes on the podium in the first race of the round Superbike World Cup in Cremona, having to return and battling his injury.
The Spaniard fractured his eighth rib two weeks ago during his accident at Magny-Cours, which prevented him from completing this event and left him in doubt for the second test of the campaign in progress. in Italy. However, he was able to receive “appropriate” medical care. This Saturday morning was not easy for the man from Talavera de la Reina, and he had to leave from 13th position after a complex Superpole. But in the race he felt better, he attacked hard and ended up returning to a more than honorable level. third placebehind Danilo Petrucci and of Nicolô Bulega.
Bautista celebrated such a good result in a race that had to be stopped prematurely due to technical problems and explained how he felt better and better as the laps went by, until he reached his best version.
“This is an excellent result. Seeing that on Thursday I didn't know if I was going to be able to compete this weekend, finishing on the podium in Race 1 leaves me very happy“, that of Aruba.it. Especially because Today I was in a little more pain than yesterdaybecause in Superpole, when I tried to attack to do a fast lap, I felt a limit there and I couldn't push or push further, and I couldn't do a good lap.”
“It also irritated me more in the race, in the first laps.. At the beginning, I was there with several pilots, in the peloton. I couldn't do much because I couldn't fight, my rib was bothering me a lot. But fortunately, little by little it calmed down, the muscles warmed up and everything fell into place and I started to find my rhythm and my sensations with the bike.“.
Bautista even regretted that the full distance of the race had not been covered, because He thinks he might have hit his mechanic partner. And he took the opportunity to congratulate the winner, also a partner brand of that of Borgo Panigale, since the series motorcycle championship is another territory conquered for Petrucci.
“I saw that he was catching up with the other drivers and that he could overtake them. So I’m very happy. If it hadn't been for the red flag, I think I could have reached Nicol². But hey, it’s racing. Anything can happen up to the checkered flag. Congratulations to Danilo, what he did was incredible. He won in Superbike, but also in MotoGPin MotoAmerica, in the Dakar Rally… I don't think many riders achieve victories in so many different disciplines. It’s nice to see more drivers fighting for victory,” he concluded.
