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Does WSBK testing actually indicate a competitive season upcoming?

6K views 26 replies 8 participants last post by  the bartender 
#1 ·
https://motomatters.com/analysis/2019/02/20/2019_phillip_island_worldsbk_test_round.html

So, can Alvaro Bautista maintain his awesome pace for 22 laps? Has Jonathan Rea been 'hiding his light'? Where are Sykes, and Davies, and... lots of other guys?

Still, with 10 rider within a second of the top, maybe, just maybe, 2019 will prove to be a bit less of the Kawasaki / Jonny Rea dominated show than the past couple seasons. I hope so - I gave up watching last year... It was impressive, but not exciting.
 
#3 · (Edited)
#4 · (Edited)
http://www.worldsbk.com/en/news/2019/Bautista%20blitzes%20opposition%20with%20149s%20win%20on%20WorldSBK%20debut?fbclid=IwAR3qqkd8ASRSz8JS2XmkeUvsZC0jZi2XFk2O0Hw7uDSMIc5LBbmO8sqaWYI

Bautista took the win in a convincing manner, winning by more than 15 seconds to become the first
Rookie to win a WorldSBK race on his debut since Max Biaggi in 2007.



Off the line for the first time in 2019, Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) got a good start before being sandwiched into Turn 1 by Alvaro Bautista and early race leader and pole-sitter, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK). However, Bautista soon blasted into the lead at Turn 3 and from there, built a gap, setting back-to-back fastest laps and before half race distance, the 34-year-old had a gap of over eight seconds.
 

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#5 ·
This could be a very good season. Philip Island is well suited for Ducati and Bautista had a great showing for sure, but Johnny will do whatever is necessary to win.

Unfortunately, I cancelled my WSBK subscription this year. :(
 
#6 ·
Umm I'd like to take my money back on Rea and place it on Bautista please.

It's been some great racing for second so far this year Rea has finally been fighting for his results with Lowes, Davies, Haslam, van der Mark, Melandri, etc. but the results are a far away 2nd place.

First place is dominated by Alvaro on that new Ducati. I don't quite understand if it's the man or the machine but it is very impressive. Can't see anything other than mechanical failure or rider error beating him, in a race he's all alone.
Bautista = MotoGP nine years zero wins / WorldSBK nine races nine wins.
 
#7 ·
Alvaro is a former world champ - beat guys like Lorenzo and Pedrosa to win it - he's no slouch but I'm with ya - totally shocked at his pace on the brand new V4, especially considering the other 3 in the field seem to be nowhere in comparison (until this past round at least).

I bet today they dock Ducati 250rpm (16K down to 15,750 - pfft) which will do absolutely nothing I bet - Alvaro is making the field look like amateurs and his winning margin is less than reality as he cruises over the line - has to be demoralizing.
 
#8 ·
Im loving the race for second but....wtf are they going to do about Bautista?

Is the sbk spec duc v4 a bigger engine than 1000cc? Aprilia never had such an advantage. Yet even were that the case, Chaz is still in the middle of the fight and nowhere near Bautista...
 
#9 ·
Im loving the race for second but....wtf are they going to do about Bautista?

Is the sbk spec duc v4 a bigger engine than 1000cc? Aprilia never had such an advantage. Yet even were that the case, Chaz is still in the middle of the fight and nowhere near Bautista...
No. it's 999cc for the R model which it's based off of, 1100cc is the more street and original last year V4S model.
 
#10 ·
That's what I thought based on some side comments but couldnt find confirmation anywhere. Which still leaves us wondering....wtf bautista? I thought it was bad when Rea won race after race, despite being an irish blooded ninja rider myself...but now....this is far worse.
 
#11 ·
I respectfully but energetically disagree! I think it's GREAT than someone other than Mr Rea is winning races. The fact that it is Alvaro Bautista, who showed potential but didn't have the machine under him to get results in Moto GP, is a bonus. The fact that he's on a brand new bike, which has not yet gone thru a 'development' cycle, is astonishing. The fact that the other Ducati riders are struggling is an indication of Bautista's quality. Nobody (except the competition) groused when Marc Marquez went on his ten-race-victory streak in 2014... So, go get 'em, Alvaro! Besides, the battles for second are superbly entertaining, with innumerable aggressive but 'fair' passes, and the advantage drifting back and forth between several riders as tires, fuel consumption, and race conditions change. There's obviously a LOT of mutual respect and trust between all the riders in that group, despite fierce competition - there could have been dozens of bikes and riders on the floor already, if these 'pros' handled themselves at any lesser level. I'm lovin' it...
 
#12 ·
#14 ·
*** Assen Spoiler below***






Davies is no slouch and look where he is. Bautista is running away and while I'd prefer epic battles for the win, right now I'm happy Rea isn't doing what he's been doing for so many years. It'll be interesting how he's able to handle the change, if he's able to keep his cool and drive.


I've only watched Assen Race 1 so far this morning, but if Alvaro can win there without being under pressure, it's going to be a tough season ahead for the rest of them. Sure, they were closer and he couldn't just sit up and cruise around on the last lap, but still, not really a track he was expected to do really well at.

If Bautista wasn't there, Rea would be 10 / 10, though through closer racing :)
 
#15 ·
***spoiler alert****




Alvaro Bautista was victorious yet again in the final World Superbike race at Assen as Jonathan Rea's streak of second-place finishes was ended by local hero Michael van der Mark.
Rea had a brilliant start from eighth on the grid and led five corners into the race, but the Kawasaki rider did not pull away from Bautista and instead led a group involving several riders.

While Bautista was cautious in the early stages and did not challenge Rea, others were unable to demote the Ducati rider despite him being closely followed by the likes of van der Mark and Leon Haslam.
As his teammate Chaz Davies moved up to third, Bautista finally made a move on Rea at Turn 8 and his teammate followed suit a corner later.
Rea was even temporarily passed by van der Mark and while the Northern Irishman quickly retook second, this was all Bautista needed to escape the reigning champion.
The gap between the top two stagnated for a handful of laps before Bautista started to gradually stretch his advantage, and he took the chequered flag by 4.6s.

Once his victory challenge was over, Rea came under pressure from van der Mark, and the Dutchman pulled off a brave move on the way into the Turn 17-18 chicane with three laps remaining. Rea did not drop back and was all over Van der Mark at the chequered flag, but the latter secured second by 0.018s, meaning Rea's streak of second-place finishes ends at 10.

Alex Lowes took fourth but was more than 10 seconds behind Bautista, whose teammate Davies ended up fifth.
BMW duo Markus Reiterberger and Tom Sykes took sixth and seventh with Haslam dropping to eighth despite being in podium contention early on.
 
#19 ·
Alvaro had a contract in front of him since round 4 of the Championship this year so Redding isn't "bumping" him off the team - Ducati signed Scott because Alvaro wanted huge money and refused to resign, then he went sniffing around to HRC for next year and they haven't even decided if they are 100% committed to WSBK. I wouldn't be surprised to see him on the KTM GP bike next year actually.
 
#23 · (Edited)
craziness..

you could say its a lesson year for Bautista.. i still think he screamed his way into the new position, it will be interesting to see
what he does on the honda. i'm sure there's a bit of him who wants to prove it wasnt all bike. I've got friends who keep up with it all
and the rumors got going with a bit of a frenzy. It seemed it was all but written weeks ago.
 
#24 ·
i'm sure there's a bit of him who wants to prove it wasnt all bike.
for sure, it doesn't all bike. no on esle could 'get on top' of the V4 the way he did. even Chas Davies. too bad he lost the plot so dramatically mid-season...

as for next year, it seems it's always 'next year' for Honda in WSB...
 
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