Two-time MOTUL FIM Superbike World Champion Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) has been mired farther down the order than he feels he and his team are capable of over the last three rounds. At the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours’ Acerbis French Round, the #19 was able to put the pieces together and bag a return to the top six in the round’s final race. Race 2 marked his first time back in the top six since his P4 at Balaton Park earlier this season, but he believes that as he rebuilds his confidence with the bike after his ankle surgery, he can close out 2026 well.
STRUGGLES EARLY ON
The #19 took P14 away from the Tissot Superpole session, his best result in the event over the last three rounds, yet his fourth start on the fifth row or worse in a row. He was making quick work of the riders ahead of him in Race 1, recovering his two lost positions on the opening lap by taking a position per lap from Lap 3 to Lap 6; even beating out Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) for P11 just before Tommy Bridewell (Superbikes Advocates)’s red-flag-inducing crash. The restart threw cold water on his progress, however, and the Spaniard fell down to a last-place finish in P14 after his Lap 3, Turn 14 crash.
His Tissot Superpole Race featured a strong push early, overcoming Locatelli and Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) on Lap 2 before Yamaha riders Locatelli and Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) found a way past two laps later. Languishing back in P14, his race would only get tougher for him as, in the final four laps, Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) and Jake Dixon (Honda HRC) found a way past to leave the #19 with a P15 finish.
“IN RACE 2, EVERYTHING WAS MORE NORMAL. I STARTED WELL, I FOUGHT IN THE FIRST LAPS WELL”
Race 2 was where he finally broke through; despite starting from P14, a strong jump off the line propelled him three positions in the first lap alone. He hung in with the pack over the next eight laps until he moved past Gardner at the Adelaide corner on Lap 9. That move boosted his confidence, and as he settled into the race, he moved past Gerloff on the next lap, then Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) on Lap 11, inheriting another position as Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) crashed out at Turn 5. As the race wound down, Bautista found pace to take a final position from Bridewell at Turn 13, before the Brit crashed at Turn 3 and caused the race to be cut short with a red flag.
On his weekend, Bautista said: “Sunday afternoon, I finished the race without too many problems. On Saturday, my pace was only to fight for P7 or so. After the red flag, I had an issue and crashed, which prevented me from showing our real potential. In the Superpole Race, I had some issues with the SCQ tyre when it came to braking, which caused me to go wide a few times. If it wasn’t for that, I think I could have fought again for P8-P9. In Race 2, everything was more normal. I started well and fought well in the first laps. This is a tricky track for overtakes, and I was able to prevent any mistakes. P6 is not bad, but it’s not the position I want to be fighting for. At the moment, I’m not finding a good feeling with the bike. I’m struggling with the bike. More than enjoying it, I’m suffering on the bike. I try to always do my best, and today that was P6.”
“P6 AT THE MOMENT WAS THE MAXIMUM WE COULD FIND, BUT I THINK WE CAN RECOVER”
Bautista’s 2026 season has been marred by frequent crashes and falling a step behind his pace shown in season’s past. His one podium this season pales in comparison to his 18+ in each of his last four seasons. His race 2 performance will put some wind in the Spaniard’s sails however, and provided he can build from P6 forward, he arrives to friendly territory at Cremona next, where he has taken a podium from five out of the last six races.
On the feeling arriving here to Magny-Cours, Bautista said: “When you have an injury, it doesn’t help, especially at Aragon. I came back, and I felt very good. It’s a track that suits my riding style. At Misano, I felt a bit worse with my ankle because I felt I had to exert myself more with it than at Aragon, similar to Donington Park. We decided not to touch the bike here at Magny-Cours. On many Fridays this season, we change things on Friday, which initially helped, but then the feeling gets worse and worse. Arriving here, I didn’t feel too bad on the bike, so we decided not to change anything and just build confidence. P6 at the moment was the maximum we could find, but I think we can recover the confidence I’m missing.”
The two-time World Champion hopes to keep this trajectory next round at Cremona on Friday, September 25th! Tune in with the WorldSBK VideoPass! Now 70% off!