Alvaro Bautista: “Proved I’m not thinking about the championship"

But it was the race that Bautista lost, Sunday morning’s Superpole encounter, that the Spaniard said proved he isn’t thinking about the championship - despite just two defeats in the 18 races.

Bautista began the last lap in a safe third behind Toprak Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea but threw caution to the wind by outbraking Rea for second into the Fogarty Esses.

“I had the same problem warming the tyre in both races today, but after 3-4 laps I was up to speed and set a ’25 [new lap record] with the SC0 tyre, not too bad!” Bautista recalled.

“But after that the rear was on the limit, I did some slides, lost some time and had to recover. I arrived close to them again on the last lap.

• Donington Park: 2023 World Superbike results

“I saw Jonathan had better pace than Toprak and I think Jonathan was preparing for a pass at the last corner. I decided to attack before those corners, because it was my only chance if I wanted to gain a position.

“I did it in the Foggy Esses. It was a good move because I can keep the line and didn't lose the position exiting from the chicane.

“So it was a really good race and it’s what I said; I'm not thinking about the Championship. In every single race, I try to do my best and get the maximum I can.

“In the Superpole, I thought that the maximum was to attack Jonathan and I did it. I never said, ‘OK, relax’, just keep the position for the championship. That was not my mindset.”

Likewise, Bautista claimed he didn’t care that his 11-race win streak had finally been broken.

“I'm not worried about that. Records are for when you retire. The important thing is to enjoy the bike, the present. That's for me, the important thing.”

“Toprak passed me back but the next lap I learned”

Race 2 saw another early tussle between the trio of world champions, before Razgatlioglu and Bautista pulled clear.

Bautista was clearly the faster of the two, which made Razgatlioglu even more determined not to allow the Ducati rider into the lead.

“Toprak in the beginning was faster than me, but after a few laps when the tyre was warm and I could push in the normal way I had some tenths faster than him,” Bautista confirmed.

“I tried to pass, but he tried to stay in front of me, in all the ways.”

Bautista finally found a way past into Redgate, turn 1, with ten laps remaining. But his reign lasted just a couple of corners before Razgatlioglu sent his R1 up the inside into the Old Hairpin.

“He passed me but the next lap I learned and did a bit faster the downhill and entered [the Old Hairpin] more inside. So I learned and I could defend the position.

“I knew that he could follow me for 3-4 laps. But I knew also that if I can keep that pace until the end, for sure it was more difficult for him and tenth by tenth he was losing.”

Bautista went on to win by 2.650s.

Team-mate Michael Rinaldi was ruled out of the Race 2 restart after being caught up in the aftermath of Tom Sykes' opening lap highside.

“It has been a really unlucky weekend where something important always happened in the early laps. Today’s accident was really bad. I only remember finding myself on the ground with a lot of pain in my ankle. Fortunately, the initial analysis ruled out fractures. I wish a speedy recovery to Sykes, who was at the medical center with me.”