P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Alvaro Bautista admits his decision to run the #1 plate in 2023 was because he felt ‘strong enough’ to defend the WorldSBK title successfully.
In 2022, Bautista had a dominant season on the Panigale V4 R after struggling with Honda for two seasons. Despite Toprak Razgatlioglu’s outstanding performance, Bautista was even more dominant in 2023, winning 27 races and successfully defending his title. Bautista expressed his excitement about becoming world champion and the difficulty of winning and defending a title. He was particularly proud to have the opportunity to celebrate the championship with his friends and family, especially his daughters. The first race in Australia, which he won in wet conditions, was the most important victory for Bautista, as it showed that he was capable of winning in any situation. He had a phenomenal start to the season with 15 wins out of 16 races, but acknowledged the need to stay focused and not become complacent.
