Portimao podium ‘would be fantastic' - Bautista, Haslam hopes for ‘good weekend’

Following his second World Superbike podium of the season in Jerez, third overall since joining Honda, Alvaro Bautista is aiming to fight for a similar result in Portimao. 

Bautista and Honda’s impressive step-forward started in Magny-Cours and has since led to six top six finishes from eight races, including back-to-back podiums in Catalunya and Jerez. 

"We arrive in Portimao after two positive weekends in terms of performance and results," added Bautista. 

"Last year we were competitive in Portugal, and the bike has improved since then, but we will reset everything and head there with a free mind. 

"We’ll get our heads down, keep on working, and aim to start out on the right foot already on Friday and just try and get all we can from the bike. 

"And then, if we can fight for more top-five finishes or the podium, it would be fantastic."

While Bautista’s team-mate Haslam has also shown improved speed in recent rounds, the British rider hasn’t been able to consistently match the Spaniard’s results - 7-1 in Bautista’s favour since the start of Magny-Cours. 

But with that said, Portimao was Haslam’s best round of the season in 2020, and one that ‘I’m very much looking forward to race at’. 

Haslam said: "Portimao is a really good track and, although we haven’t tested there this year, it’s a circuit at which I’ve done well in the past. 

"We’ve seen that we need to keep working to sort out a few issues we’ve had in the last races of course, but this is a circuit that I’m very much looking forward to race at, and it always makes for some exciting races so we’ll see if we can have a good weekend there."