SBK P. Island – Sensational debut for Bautista and the Panigale V4 R

Bruno Gomes

February 23, 2019

Alvaro Bautista | Photo credits: GPon

It could’ve been just another normal first race of the World Superbike season, but today, in Phillip Island, World Superbike fans watched the sensational racing debut of newcomer Alvaro Bautista and his Panigale V4 R of the Aruba.it Ducati team.

During the Superpole session, which from this season on it’s only one 25-minute session and not two 15 minutes’ sessions as it used to be, reigning champion Jonathan Rea and his new teammate at the Kawasaki Racing Team Leon Haslam, were untouchable and managed to secure the two top spots at the starting grid for today’s Race 1.

But when everyone thought Rea and his new Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR would be the race winner, Alvaro Bautista put on a fantastic performance on his racing debut in this championship, and on the opening lap the Ducati rider was already leading the race. The new Panigale V4 R performed flawlessly, and that allowed Bautista to open a 15 second gap to his rivals up until the mid-point of Race 1. From then on, the Spaniard eased off a bit, and cruised to a superb victory in Phillip Island.

With this result, not only Alvaro Bautista becomes the first championship leader of the 2019 World Superbike season, but at the same time he becomes the first rider to win his debut race in Superbike after Max Biaggi, who also arrived from MotoGP in 2007, and won his first race.

Unable to catch Alvaro Bautista, Jonathan Rea was the best of the rest. The Kawasaki rider secured the second spot at the finish line, far away from his Ducati rival, but he also didn’t have any pressure from anyone else, especially since his teammate Leon Haslam crashed at lap 13, when he was riding in second, and chasing down Alvaro Bautista.

With tyre wear becoming an important factor during the last laps, the fight for third spot was fierce. Marco Melandri (GRT Yamaha) and Alex Lowes (PATA Yamaha WorldSBK) put on a great show, both riding the Yamaha YZF-R1. Eventually Melandri was able to come out on top of this fight, with a last corner dive on the inside of Lowes to grab third spot at the finish line.

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