WorldSBK | Exhibition of Bautista’s Skill in Indonesia Overshadows Disappointing Performance by Rea

Ducati rider Alvaro Bautista exhibited an outstanding performance throughout the weekend in Indonesia, securing victories in both Race 1 on Saturday and Race 2 on Sunday, for the WorldSBK Championship.

In contrast, the biggest rivals for the 2023 season title, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Yamaha) and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki), had a frustrating weekend at Mandalika, with the Kawasaki rider performing the worst of the two.

Toprak managed to secure a victory in the Superpole race, but unfortunately, he failed to maintain the momentum in the main races of the weekend. In the race where Toprak emerged victorious and Yamaha took the top two spots, Bautista crashed and failed to score any points.

Jonathan Rea endured a miserable weekend with disappointing results. He finished in the ninth position in Race 1, managed to finish fourth in the Superpole race, but his performance further declined in Race 2 as he struggled to reach the fifth position and eventually crashed out of the race, leading to his retirement.

Toprak and Rea both experienced difficulties with grip on the scorching asphalt of Mandalika, where the temperature soared above 51 degrees. While Rea encountered issues primarily with the front of his bike, Toprak faced challenges with the rear.

Bautista, therefore, was the best performer. In race 2, he started from the tenth position, managed to overtake several riders and, in the final laps, managed to reach the leader, his teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi, pass him easily, and cross the finish line for another victory.

In this last race of the day, another one who stood out and got his first podium in the category was Xavi Vierge (Team HRC), who had a solid race, took advantage of the situations that happened in front of him, and finished third.

Thus, with the result of the weekend in Indonesia, Bautista is the leader with 112 points, Toprak is second with 75 and Andrea Locatelli is third with 70 points.

The championship standings are as follows:

Anyway, the WorldSBK Championship returns from April 21st to 23rd, with the Dutch round.

For more info, access the WorldSBK website.