AUSTRALIAN ROUND | FRIDAY
February 20, 2026
Saturday at Phillip Island started with FP3, confirming the team’s strong pace. Alvaro recorded the eighth fastest lap at 1:28.838, both showing good feeling with the new Panigale.
In Superpole, under different conditions compared to the morning session, Bautista, was unable to lower his time due to limited grip and ended up twelfth with 1:29.363, affecting his starting position for Race 1.
Race 1 was held over 22 laps, this year without the usual flag-to-flag procedure.
Alvaro, who had started his comeback from eleventh on the grid, was forced to retire after losing the front in Turn 11 due to a gear selection error, preventing him from collecting important data to further adapt the bike to his style.
The next appointments are tomorrow with the Superpole Race at 3:00 AM Italian time, followed by Race 2 at 6:00 AM.
#THERECONQUEST
ALVARO BAUTISTA
“Today we continued working steadily. This morning we made a small adjustment compared to yesterday and also tested the soft tyre. In FP3, I felt good and had positive feedback from the bike. In Superpole, I didn’t find the same feeling; I was lacking some grip and couldn’t match my morning lap, which resulted in a less than ideal starting position for Race 1. In the race, on the second lap, I made a mistake: in Turn 11 I slightly touched the gear lever, the bike went into fourth, pushed, and I lost the front. I feel very sorry for the team because we’ve been working really well, and a mistake like that cost us the race. We had also made a small electronics adjustment to give me more feeling on the bike, but we didn’t get the chance to test it. I apologize to the team and mechanics, who are doing an excellent job. I think we missed an important opportunity to continue improving the bike’s feel.”
