Álvaro Bautista is proclaimed World Superbike Champion

The Spanish Álvaro Bautista has been proclaimed World Superbike Champion after finishing in second position in Race 2 of the Pertamina Mandalika urban circuit, in Pujot, Kuta (Lombok Island, Indonesia), in which the Turkish Toprak Razgatlioglu (Yamaha) achieved the victory.

Thomas Osborne
Thomas Osborne
13 November 2022 Sunday 09:36
12 Reads
Álvaro Bautista is proclaimed World Superbike Champion

The Spanish Álvaro Bautista has been proclaimed World Superbike Champion after finishing in second position in Race 2 of the Pertamina Mandalika urban circuit, in Pujot, Kuta (Lombok Island, Indonesia), in which the Turkish Toprak Razgatlioglu (Yamaha) achieved the victory.

In the absence of the last test in Australia, next week, Bautista's accounts were clear, he had to get on the podium regardless of what Razgatlioglu did, already with the Northern Irishman Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki) out of the equation for the title of the championship. The Turk attacked from the start to defend his world throne until the last second and took the prize of winning the three tests in Indonesia, but he could not prevent Bautista from demonstrating his quality and the power of his motorcycle to reach second place in the race 2 and with it the world throne.

Rea was third, as in Saturday's race and the only competitor who has risen between Razgatlioglu and Bautista for wins throughout the season. The one from Talavera is the first Ducati champion since 2011 and in a personal capacity he returns to the top 16 years later after winning the 125cc world title in 2006.

Following that first success, Bautista went on to race in 250cc for three seasons, finishing fourth, second and fourth again in the overall standings. He made the jump to MotoGP in 2010, and in that stage he obtained three podiums and one pole before opening a new stage in his career in 2019 by changing paddocks to compete in WorldSBK with Ducati.

Bautista challenged for the title in his first season in Superbike, racking up 11 consecutive wins, but finished second at the end of that campaign as a rookie. The change to Team HRC, with which he played the 2020 and 2021 campaigns, was a difficult stage for Bautista, since in two years he barely achieved three podium finishes. However, the experience accumulated in those two campaigns has helped him in his return to Ducati, and this time, yes, he has achieved his first World Cup crown.

Álvaro Bautista succeeds fellow Spaniard Carlos Checa who was the last Ducati champion in 2011.