Alvaro Bautista recovered from ninth on the grid to finish fourth in WorldSBK Race 1 at Jerez, missing the podium by one position. The result marked a strong fightback after a difficult Superpole and put him back among the leading riders following his recent podium challenge at Estoril, which had ended with a late crash.

A difficult qualifying tyre

Bautista said the SCQ tyre created the main problem in Superpole. It was his first attempt with the tyre because he had not used it earlier that morning, and he felt aggressive vibration from the motorcycle. The bike became difficult to ride, but he still secured ninth place and a start from the third row. It was his best qualifying result since Balaton Park.

The situation improved after small changes were made to the motorcycle. Bautista already felt more comfortable in FP3, and he was confident that his race pace would be stronger than his single-lap performance. That expectation proved important once the race began.

Progress through the field

Bautista made a normal start but lost ground during the opening laps while adapting to the motorcycle’s inertia. He compared the sensation to riding a truck, explaining why he initially had to focus on surviving rather than attacking. Lap by lap, however, he found a better rhythm, raised his pace and began overtaking other riders.

The recovery turned Race 1 into a fight for the podium rather than a straightforward run from the third row. Bautista described the overtaking battle and his comeback as the defining part of the race. He was pleased with the motorcycle’s feel and with fourth place, and wants to carry that confidence into the following day’s action.