The introduction of the minimum combined weight in World Superbike has been the subject of debate since it was announced in the autumn of 2023. World champion Alvaro Bautista feels at a disadvantage and has expressed his disappointment on almost every occasion.
Yamaha team manager Paul Denning, however, doesn’t understand the reason for all the fuss and called Bautista’s complaints “pathetic” in an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com (because Denning thinks so). During the recent Assen round, Bautista was asked about these statements.
“I read the interview,” begins Bautista. “I can’t give him an answer from a technical point of view, because I don’t know what influence the weight has on the bike. But I can give my opinion as a pilot. He has never ridden a motorcycle like this. This is why he doesn’t know how it feels and what you need to do to be fast.”
“He doesn’t know, for example, what effect five kilograms have on braking, leaning or changing direction. He doesn’t understand it. For this reason it would be better if he didn’t make any comments”, said Bautista, commenting on Denning’s statements. “The difference between a heavier bike and a lighter one is notable”, underlines the Ducati rider, who continues to criticize the new rule: “For me this rule is not fair.
“If in the future a lightweight rider enters the championship, he will start at a disadvantage. This also affects the behavior of builders. If in doubt, they will always choose a heavier rider, because otherwise they would have to fit additional weights. This has repercussions on the bike’s set-up. For me it’s not right with this type of bike”, underlines the Spaniard and asks: ‘This rule must disappear!’.
Paul Denning, Pata Yamaha WorldSBK
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Were Paul Denning’s statements some sort of jab?
Alvaro Bautista and Paul Denning weren’t always adversaries. Denning was instrumental in Bautista’s promotion to MotoGP. At the time, the Briton was the team manager of the Suzuki MotoGP team and brought Bautista into the premier class in 2010.
“It’s been a long time since I worked with Alvaro. He wasn’t yet the rider he is today”, recalls Denning in an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com. “We took him directly from 250cc to the MotoGP works team. Now he is a multiple world champion and a complete athlete. It is difficult to make comparisons ”.
Bautista’s time with the Suzuki team was marked by a series of failures. In his debut season in MotoGP, Bautista formed the Suzuki works team together with veteran Loris Capirossi and finished 13th in the rider standings. The following year, Suzuki raced only Bautista and pulled the plug at the end of the season.
The news of Suzuki’s withdrawal came late. Bautista had already reached an agreement with Gresini. “I still remember that period with Suzuki. Paul offered me the chance to continue with him, but to continue riding the 800cc Suzuki. I refused because I wanted to ride a 1000cc like the other riders”, recalls the Spaniard. “Maybe that’s why he didn’t have another opportunity, he lost the team and now he’s against me”, thinks Bautista, sensing a revenge in the statements from his former team leader.
Alvaro Bautista, Aruba.It Racing – Ducati
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
What will be the future of Alvaro Bautista?
It is not yet clear whether Bautista will continue to compete against Denning’s team and the rest of the Superbike field next season. Ducati would like Bautista to extend his contract, but the Spaniard has not yet made a final decision.
The fact that Ducati is looking to extend his contract pleases the 39-year-old Spaniard. “I’m very happy to hear that. It’s always nice when the managers want me to stay,” he commented. “But let’s see, at the moment I’m focusing on showing my best possible performance. But I will definitely make a decision soon, both for myself and for the team,” he promised Bautista, who will show up at Ducati’s home race in Misano in June as world championship leader.
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