The 2021 World Superbike season will end on November 21 at the Mandalika Street Circuit, Indonesia. From there, most of the drivers will return directly to Europe, where some will immediately start preparing for next season with their new teams.
One of these will be Alvaro Bautista. The Spanish rider will return to Ducati in 2022 and only three days after his last engagement on the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade will he be back on the Panigale V4. On 24 and 25 November, the 2019 vice-champion will be in Jerez and will return to the bike with which he obtained 16 victories that same year, 11 of which consecutive in his debut among the production derivatives.
Bautista will leave behind two difficult years with Honda, in which he failed to meet his expectations, winning just three podiums. His current team-mate Leon Haslam will also leave HRC, which will have a completely new duo formed by Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge.
Suzuki has booked the Andalusian track for two days of testing with the MotoGP test team. Bautista’s test will therefore be behind closed doors and he is not expected to make any statements at the end of the day, given that he is under contract with Honda until the end of the year.
However, there is one obstacle that pilots from Indonesia will have to overcome. Currently, those returning to Europe from Asia face restrictions and in some cases quarantine. Therefore, if there is no easing from this point of view, the test could also be postponed to the beginning of December.
The two days of Jerez should also see Scott Redding’s debut on the BMW M 1000 RR, the very rider who will make room for Bautista in Ducati. However, the British will also have to deal with the restrictions.
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