Strategy the key to Alvaro Bautista’s French WorldSBK podium recovery

Alvaro Bautista took an unlikely second place in WorldSBK Race 1 at Magny-Cours, having qualified down in 17th.

Bautista’s starting position meant his race was complicated from the beginning, and the similarity in conditions between Superpole and Race 1 meant a step forward was needed for Bautista to progress.

“Well it was a big challenge starting in 17th,” he told WorldSBK.com after the race. “I didn’t have a good feeling in the wet in the Superpole and I don’t know why.

“We had to be very careful in some areas in the race, like in the final chicane where we saw a big crash on the first lap. I nearly crashed there, too, but I was lucky.”

One of the critical parts of the race was deciding when to pit to change to wet tyres. Bautista decided to change as soon as he saw the rain was falling.

“When I saw the first drop of rain I thought ‘ok you have to enter’, because it was dark and the rain was coming so I was the first one to go in,” Bautista explained.

“I think it was the right choice. Then the feeling was not too bad and I was able to push harder than I had in Superpole, I saw my lap time and it was not too bad.

“After that I just tried to survive in the end.”

Considering his starting position, Bautista was pleased with his end result of second.

“At the end I’m very happy with second position after starting from 17th, in a flag-to-flag, racing with wet tyres and wet conditions with a dry set-up,” he said.

“I’m really, really happy. Sincerely I was surprised with the feeling and the lap time, it was a good surprise for me. I was able to push and have some confidence.”

The WorldSBK format means that Bautista will have a chance to improve his grid position in Race 2 in Sunday morning’s Superpole Race, when he will once again start 17th.

“We’ll see with the weather, it seems like it will be good, at least dry,” Bautista said. “In the Superpole Race, starting from the back in the dry it will be very difficult, more difficult than in the wet.

“I’ll try to get the best start possible, gain as many positions as possible and try to get a better position on the grid for Race 2.”