AUSTRALIAN ROUND
SUPERPOLE RACE & RACE 2

It would have been impossible to think of a more exciting end to the season.

Alvaro Bautista was not content with the riders’ title won in Indonesia and in Australia he gave the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team more extraordinary emotions. 

The last Sunday of the 2022 WorldSBK season began with an epic Superpole Race that deserves to be recounted. 
A sudden downpour drenches the track just a few minutes before the start. Alvaro opted for a brave choice: slick tyres on both front and rear. In the first laps the Spanish rider – who started from pole position – lost ground, finding himself in 16th position, almost 10 seconds behind the leader.

From the middle of the race, however, the track began to dry out and Bautista’s sensational comeback was completed two laps from the end when he took first position to triumph with a wide margin under the chequered flag.

Then Race-2, held this time in dry conditions. After battling with Lowes, Redding, Razgatlioglu and Rea, on lap six the rider from Talavera took the lead. The duel with Rea was exciting, but with five laps to go the red flag declared the end of the race giving way to celebrations in the garage.

#THERETURN

Alvaro Bautista #19  
SUPERPOLE RACE P 1
RACE 2 P 1

“What can I say: I am really happy to have ended the season like this, giving great satisfaction to the whole Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team. I think the Superpole Race was one of the best victories for me in World Superbike. On the grid, I spoke with Giulio (Nava) and I asked to put the slick on. I had confidence even though after the warm-up lap I had some doubts. I’m too old for these things, I have a wonderful family, maybe next time I’ll think twice. Joking aside, it was a wonderful Sunday. Now we go home but the celebrations are not over. What a season!” “