Alvaro Bautista's season has gone down in WSBK history, with the Ducati rider achieving a triple crown in the championship. The 38-year-old Spaniard gave an interview to the championship's official website in which he touched on a number of issues in quick questions.
Describe the WSBK 'titanic trio' in one word.
- Titanic [laughs].
Describe Toprak Razgatlioglu in one word.
- Talent.
Describe Jonathan Rea in one word.
- Fighter.
Describe Alvaro Bautista in one word.
- Worker.
Who is the 'cleanest' rider on the grid.
- Well, I'll say it myself [laughs].
Who is the rider who plays the 'dirtiest' on the grid.
- This question is so compromising, but let's say 'the most aggressive', maybe Jonathan Rea
A talent or skill you would like to keep from an opponent?
- I would like to have the control of the bike that Toprak has, which is incredible, he does what he wants on the bike.
If you could ride a superbike other than the Ducati, which would it be?
- The Honda [laughs]. It's a bike I already know and I don't want to have to discover another bike. So Ducati and Honda are the bikes I would race for.
Who was the big surprise of 2022?
- Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge were quite competitive on the Honda.
Describe 2022 in one word.
- Can I use two words? Almost perfect [laughs]. Everything went very well, but I can always improve and I will have to learn from the small mistakes I made during the season.
Choose the best moment of the year.
- To be world champion, for sure.
What is your worst moment of the year?
- The crash at Donington Park. It wasn't even the crash itself, but the pain it caused in my hand, which lasted for weeks.
Do you have any regrets about 2022?
- There were things I would have liked to change. In the first race in Aragon, I was too calm. If I have to race in the same way now, for sure, I can win. In that time, I was... It was the first race and I was very calm.
The best round in 2022.
- Misano, there were a lot of Tifosi fans. And maybe because I compete in Ducati, but there were a lot of ducatistas there.
One thing your bike lacked in 2022.
- The ability to turn without acceleration. That's our weak point.
Something you may have missed in 2022.
- Several things. We're always learning and I don't think there is such a thing as the perfect rider, so I've missed a lot of things and I'm always trying to improve.