P1racenews AI automatic summary:
An injury robbed Alvaro Bautista of a proper shot to impress during his wildcard appearance at Sepang – and everyone in MotoGP of a valuable data point
say that Bautista was in top form heading into his wildcard appearance in MotoGP at Sepang. However, the weekend didn’t go as planned for Bautista, as he struggled in both races and finished at the back of the pack. He later revealed that he was dealing with an undisclosed injury, which may have affected his performance. In contrast, when Pedrosa made his wildcard appearance earlier this year, he exceeded expectations and delivered impressive fourth-place finishes in both races. Pedrosa hadn’t competed full-time since 2018 but showed no signs of rustiness, proving that he still had the speed to compete at the highest level. Overall, Pedrosa’s performance at Misano set a high standard for one-off returns to the series, one that Bautista was unable to match at Sepang.
