Bautista explains MotoGP to World Superbike transition

Alvaro Bautista has detailed how he’s adapting to the World Superbike championship with Ducati over the winter ahead of his switch from MotoGP in 2019.

Bautista made his debut with Aruba.it Racing Ducati at the two-day Jerez test at the end of November to gain his first experience with the new Ducati V4 R Superbike in preparation for his full-time switch next season.

The Spanish rider, who has spent the past nine years in MotoGP, ended up alternating between his Superbike debut and acting as Ducati MotoGP test rider at Jerez with regular test rider Michele Pirro away undergoing surgery.

While the 34-year-old felt comfortable switching between the production bike and prototype machine with Ducati, he’s eager to alter his approach to suit the V4 R as well as the World Superbike championship using Pirelli tyres and different electronic specifications.

“Always when you jump on a MotoGP bike everything is amazing: the power; the electronics; the gearbox,” Bautista said in Jerez. “The difference compared to the World Superbike is quite big and for sure I enjoyed riding the MotoGP bike.

“Winter in Spain is quite cold and I will ask for a Panigale [from Ducati] because it's more similar to the bike that I use, more than in MotoGP.

“But in this break I will not ride the bike because it's too cold and I don’t want to risk.

“I will ride Motocross like normal. For Supermoto it's too cold, so I prefer not to risk. Motocross or Flat Track, something on the dirt. A soft landing!”

Bautista says he’ll also modify his winter training programme to the new challenge of World Superbikes which will include a three-race weekend programme for 2019.

“Now I have an idea for what I will expect in January so I will try to train myself physically and mentally to arrive to the next test as good as possible,” he said. “Over Christmas the body is always relaxed.

“I think training will be more-or-less the same, now I have to understand what I need for next season because for sure it will be different with three races in a weekend, also the Superpole.

“So I have to understand what I need to stay at the maximum performance all the weekend in the World Superbike.”

Bautista replaced Marco Melandri in the factory Ducati rider line-up alongside Chaz Davies for the 2019 World Superbike championship. The Spanish rider is also expected to retain MotoGP testing duties for Ducati next season alongside regular test rider Pirro.