We’ve completely overhauled our E-Cards section.
It’s easier to use than ever and contains a fab selection of over 100 classic Alvaro images.
Just click on the button beneath the image you want to send, fill in the ‘to’ and ‘from’ details, write your message – and press ‘Send’.
That’s it!
So easy – and loads of fun – you’ll really light up someone’s face with one of these fantastic E-Cards.
Click here to send an Alvaro Bautista E-Card now….
As the new season approaches and testing gets underway we thought we’d add to your fever with a very funky set of icons by site editor stv21.
There are 30 in all – ideal for forum avatars and messenger apps etc.
Just click here to download them.
We’ll be givgin them a permanent slot on the Downloads page soon too – and if you’ve never been there do go and look as there’s some great icons and wallpapers.
Enjoy 
And share…
Before the 2012 season starts in earnest with the first official test of the year in Sepang at the end of January, Solo Moto journalist Borja González sat down with our favourite racer and asked him many, many questions about working with Suzuki, almost wandering off to Superbikes, joining Gresini after tragedy hit and everything else. Below you can find a complete translation.
One of the great attractions of 2012 will be to watch the performance of Álvaro Bautista with the Honda. After two seasons in MotoGP, characterized by injuries but also by his great work on the Suzuki, the Spanish rider faces one of his biggest challenges.
The best bike in MotoGP. That’s the dream of all riders, and one that could happen to Bautista this year, provided that Honda confirms the power that’s already been hinted at in the first test of their 1000cc. But it also needs to be said that the youngster from Talavera de la Reina is not taking the place of Marco Simoncelli at HRC as he will not have the official status, although he will have a machine at his disposal which will show where he stands as a rider.
Solo Moto: How did it make you feel when you heard the announcement that Suzuki won’t continue in MotoGP after two years with the factory?
Álvaro Bautista: Sad. That Suzuki disappears from the world championship is not just sad for me but for everyone. For me especially after two years of working with them. It’s been two difficult seasons, because I’ve been injured during both, but I learned a lot; we have developed a motorcycle that was hard to compete with when I arrived and when I left it was normal and you could even think about getting good results with it. In the 800cc era Suzuki had taken a big step forward and I think now they had found a way to work from and they knew how to keep on working to make the bike more competitive. It’s a shame that they stopped now when it seemed like things were going well; also without as much money as for example Ducati works with. With what we had we were always improving, with a good way to work on and a fairly clear path to take, which is sometimes the hardest part. On many occasions you start doing things, but if you’re not sure where to go you can not get anywhere. I especially feel sorry for the great team they had, very professional and like a family, they all worked at one hundred percent. They were people who were on the team almost since it first appeared. We hope they return.
SM: There is a dilemma. At Honda, for example, they always insist that the bikes are developed by the engineers, not by the riders. There are also examples of riders who have shown the way forward. Who do you think develops a bike: the engineers or the riders?
AB: Man, the bike has to be developed by the factory and the engineers, they are the ones who really know. But the one who gives the direction, who says which way to take, is the rider; he’s the one who gets on the bike and in the end has to have the feeling for it.
SM: But in your case, did you say what happened or what you thought should be done?
AB: A rider has to be a rider, he has to go out on track, open the gas and ride the bike. There are many who get off the bike and, for example, say: “Make it stiffer, its too flexible.” I do not do that. I say, “This is what happens”; it doesn’t matter that I know the bike is too soft, I won’t tell them to make it stiffer, because I’m not an engineer, I am a rider. With experience you learn many things, so when something happens you know what it is. But I just mention it and they, the engineers, are the ones to say “then it’s because of this.” When what I think it is is the same they tell me, it is easy. Although there are times when I say something and the answer doesn’t add up for me, then I ask them to let me test the bike again to see how it goes. In the end, the ones who develop the bike are the engineers. To build a chassis, you ask me how to do it and I have no idea, not the stiffness, not the other… No idea. I just say: “With this chassis I feel like this” or “With this I feel better.”
SM: Is this a way of working that you brought with you from before you joined Suzuki or have you learned it within the team?
AB: I’ve always been like that. But before [Suzuki] I said how I felt on the bike and been told “it is what it is”. Now I had the opportunity to do things to improve it.
SM: When you joined Suzuki, I imagine that the input came from the side of Loris Capirossi.
AB: Exactly.
SM: He’s a racer with a peculiar style of riding. Was it hard for you to adapt to what he was doing or to impose your will to do things more for your side?
AB: I’ve never tried to say that they should pay more attention to me because I knew more than him. Never. In contrast to all the experience he had I was just in my first year. But yes, it is clear that Loris has a slightly peculiar riding style, he is a very, very brave rider. When I saw his telemetry compared to mine I was shocked, because the guy would open the gas to the limit, and I said: “I don’t know how to do that”. It was because of his riding style, it was helped a lot by the electronics, it was different. At first I worked in the direction he had set, but it seemed a bit stagnant. So I took another direction, not to say that I was doing the wrong thing, but simply because of my feeling on the bike, because there were things that didn’t feel right. That’s when the engineers said “let’s make this drastic change”. And suddenly we saw that it was better. I just did my job, and eventually there’ve been times, well, in those moments almost always, when Loris set up the bike similar to how mine was.
SM: Have you worked only with the English people in the box or also with the Japanese?
AB: With both. I have worked with the English guys, but the one who does the chassis is Japanese and also the engine and the electronics, although that’s done by 2D, the whole mapping was also done by a Japanese. Directly my technician was English, but we met a lot with the people from the factory. When I arrived, with Loris, always, after every session, we had a meeting. This year we didn’t have that. It is important to give information, but there are other times when you have nothing to say; then I prefer to work with my technician directly and he talked with the engineers. In other cases I talk to my mechanic, but I also go to tell those things to the engineer because he wanted that information, if I considered it very important you go there directly, without intermediaries.
SM: That’s the bonus you get from working with a factory.
AB: Yes, because normally you can only talk to the technician, but being in a factory you can even get to talk to the engineer who made the chassis. That’s the advantage.
SM: Now you turn the page.
AB: The good thing that I have now, changing the bike, is that I have the reference of the Suzuki. You can learn from everything. When we start testing, if I see that the Suzuki was better at something, I can comment on that. I’m not going to work directly with the factory, but if I can contribute something to help all Hondas, make it a little better… At best the factory takes notice and decides to listen to me. Although I don’t work directly with them, all four bikes start from the same base, with the factory behind them.
SM: With that sense of working with a factory, what can you say about the year of Valentino Rossi? Do you think he went crazy trying to change the bike?
AB: There is no doubt that Valentino is still Valentino and for me he is the best in history, not only for what he has won, but for the way in which he achieved it. The number of fans has grown a lot thanks to him and maybe the bikes are more important now than before he started, because of his charisma, his personality. This year, I guess he thought it would be easier with Ducati; in fact, I remember that last year in Valencia Burgess said that in a few seconds they could make the bike good. Although it appears to take longer… I don’t know what problems they have, but what’s obvious is that Ducati stands 100% behind him. The life-long philosophy of Ducati, which is to use the engine as a part of the chassis, has been changed only because of him. Will it bring success or not? Time will tell.
SM: But you think he still has the speed to win?
AB: I think so, but what happens now is that MotoGP is so equal, the difference is so small and the level is so high… In reality he’s not that far behind, but in a race, with 0.7s a lap, you finish over 20 seconds behind.
SM: And that he has crashed a dozen times?
AB: It shows he’s going to the limit. This year he’s crashed more than in almost all his life…
SM: And there is a curious fact that Nicky Hayden crashed twelve times last year when he partnered Stoner and this year only twice.
AB: When you have Stoner there, who also crashed several times last year, you think “Fuck, my teammate is pushing me hard, so I have to push as well”.
SM: Was the first contact with the RC212V more than just a form of taking action?
AB: Honestly, when I got on it, it was like saying “that’s it”. Those days were very tense, since Sunday after the race… well, the race, I mean the straight that I managed [laughter]. They were tense days, we had to talk to many people and it was tough. The situation was a little odd. If I had to endure that two more days I’d have gone mad. And on Wednesday, finally, when they told me I could ride, above all I felt I could relax. It was also a way of saying “I’m here now”. You talk, but until you ride the bike it’s not for real. It helped me to meet the team and little else, because the bike has nothing to do with what I’ll be riding.
SM: Did you get an explanation of why things were so slow and why it was so hard to finalize your move to Honda Gresini? I suppose Suzuki wanted you to stay, but the project seemed increasingly bleak.
AB: What I know is that Suzuki wanted me, but what they offered me was not interesting. I would have liked to stay with them, but with a bike with which we could follow in the direction of work that we had. Have a 1000cc and continue working. The first one to want that was me. What they offered me didn’t motivate me, didn’t give me any excitement. I wanted to find something that motivated me; I don’t know if there were any conflicts, but luckily I spoke directly with Sahara-san [Shinichi Sahara, head of Suzuki MotoGP] and explained that with what they offered me I had no motivation and that I had difficulties to move to Honda and didn’t know if they could do something about it. I told him that if I couldn’t go to Honda, I wouldn’t continue with Suzuki, that I could find something else. We would have MotoGP, CRT and the 800cc, three categories. Against whom would I fight? I was going to be alone and I was not interested in that. When I told him that if I couldn’t go to Honda I’d look for a life elsewhere, in SBK, he realized that I really did not want to stay with them for this project. It is not his fault, it came from Japan; he is responsible for the races, but the boss of Suzuki is the one who decides.
SM: This slowness of Suzuki left you with a strange view. You missed the option with Yamaha, you also had an offer from Pramac and then you stood between going with Lucio Cecchinello or the alternative of Gresini.
AB: Time went by and some options went with it. The first, and really a very interesting one for us at that time, was going to Yamaha. But Suzuki was not yet clear about what to do. We gave our vote of confidence and they asked us to please wait and we went ahead and lost that opportunity. Suzuki’s decision was delayed and it began to look like if we kept hoping we would be out on the street or left with something we wouldn’t like.
SM: With Honda you ended up with two options. It seemed clear that it would be yes for Gresini and not for Cecchinello.
AB: No, it was actually Cecchinello who came, well, after Dovizioso said he was going to Yamaha, and offered me his bike. So I had Suzuki or LCR, because in the end the choice of Pramac, over time, also vanished. We were in talks with Cecchinello, seeing what he offered me, if the factory would be involved… After what happened in Sepang this seat [at Gresini] was free. It’s tough to say, but it’s like that, life goes on. And that became another option. We had some things already talked through with Cecchinello and for us he was the favourite. Then at one point Lucio had to withdraw the offer, he was forced to withdraw the offer, on Sunday morning. We called and he said it couldn’t be.
SM: Because of Suzuki?
AB: He was called by Honda. So he told us, half crying, we should forget about it, that it’s not depending on him, that it’s depending on the higher ups and that he couldn’t do anything. And then we didn’t have anything. [His manager, Armando Guerrero, interrups to clarify that if Cecchinello had signed Álvaro, Honda would have withdrawn the financial support for his team.]
SM: A phrase that is heard a lot since it was announced you had signed with Gresini is “Bautista on Simoncelli’s bike”. Does that bother you?
AB: No, look. I know it gives people chills, but I do not see it that way, because in reality I won’t use anything from Simoncelli. I’ll be with the same team as Aoyama was, I will work with the technician of Aoyama, the mechanics of Aoyama, the 1000cc that has nothing to do with it and I’m not an official Honda rider. So it’s not the same situation. If I had taken his place, I’d have signed a contract with the factory and there’d be three official riders, not two as it will be. It’s not his place.
SM: Do you change anything when you’re going to work with a Spanish crew chief? In 125cc you started with Christian Lundberg, who one could say is Italian-Spanish, but from then on you had two Italians and a Brit.
AB: In the end what’s important is that the technician knows what he’s doing. Yes, maybe you can communicate small details in your language that in English or in Italian you couldn’t explain in the same way. But I don’t thing that’ll change much. The important thing is that he knows, that he understands, and when I tell him what I feel, that he interprets it together with the data and helps me. That we both follow the same path.
SM: What do you expect from the 1000cc?
AB: I really don’t know, I want to get on the bike, but don’t know what I’m going to find. There can’t be much difference. The 800cc is a bike with lots of power, the 1000cc I don’t know, a little more, but still I think it’ll be fun. It will be a little heavier and that will affect the behaviour, but I don’t really know.
SM: And the athletic expectations? Knowing how the Suzuki was, a bad weekend could be justified because the bike was not the best. Now you ride with what is supposed to be the best bike on the grid.
AB: Now I have to find another excuse, if the bike doesn’t do it anymore… [laughs]
SM: It’s almost like you’re about to take a school exam.
AB: An exam… It’s a year, it’s 18 races, and the first to go and find out if the bike goes well is myself. I think now at least we have a bike that we know works. Last year it was only me.
SM: I was going to say that, now you have the same bike as someone like Stoner.
AB: I’m convinced that winning against Stoner is not easy, but I trust that if the bikes are the same and I am able to adjust it to my liking and get used to it… In the past I’ve been fighting with Lorenzo, with Dovizioso, and I’ve also won against them. I fought with Stoner in 125cc and I’ve beat him in some races, so why shouldn’t I be able with the same bike, or a similar one, to be fighting with them? My goal is this, to be fighting with the best. I think no one is invincible. Let’s see if I’m luckier with the injuries this year and can do a full season without interruptions of recoveries, something that has slowed me down a bit. If all goes well, I’m confident to be on a good level.
SM: Are you surprised by the ability of Stoner to go fast right away?
AB: In 125cc the guy was quick. Perhaps what surprised me, or what I remember well, is the first year in 250cc with Cecchinello. I thought, “Gosh, how this guy goes”. I remember he had some hefty crashes, but when he didn’t, he was going very fast. In fact, when he moved to MotoGP, the second or third race he took pole. He goes fast. When he switched to Ducati that gave him the confidence to win, although with Ducati each year the confidence was less. This year I think he is as good as when he was at Ducati, not better, but now the bike doesn’t hinder him. And Valentino has to ride faster than he was with the Ducati. Of course, the standard has been raised by Honda and Stoner, who pushes us all.
Source: Solo Moto
Photos by Jaime Olivares for Solo Moto
In November 2011 Spanish MotoGP star, Alvaro Bautista, joined 18 other adventurers, including grand prix legend, Randy Mamola, on an adventure of a lifetime. Alvaro saw how he and the other MotoGP riders are helping people in Africa receive reliable health care.
Riders for Health’s Experience Africa is not just the usual motorcycle tour. It is a chance to witness the extraordinary work of Riders for Health. Participants were raising money to support the organisation’s work in Africa and they used the same bikes that health workers use across Africa to deliver health care.
Alvaro talks about his experiences in Zambia:
“People often wonder what it is that MotoGP riders do during the winter when there are no races. Obviously there is lots of training to be done, but this November I was lucky enough to visit Zambia with the amazing charity, Riders for Health and take part in their Experience Africa adventure.
We arrived in Zambia and had a day to get used to the bikes that we would be riding. They weren’t quite as quick as the ones that I am used to, but they were just right for where we were going.Our first day’s riding was from Lilayi lodge to the Moorings campsite, six hours away, and we were on the bikes before 9am. This was my first time riding through Africa and it was a real eye-opener. When you see how isolated the villages are and how bad the roads and tracks are, it is really obvious what an important job the motorcycles do, and how much they help the health workers.
The riding was great fun and the tracks and off-road routes were all twisting, undulating, fast in places, across a wide variety of surfaces. We road past savannah grasslands, maize crops and into forests.We were riding for a week and finished our adventure in Livingstone, just a few kilometres from Victoria Falls. I thought that my first days riding had been amazing, but the last two were even better.
We rode through villages and met lots of people, and what amazes me the most is how happy the children are that we meet. Although they have so little, they are so pleased to see us. It is the kind of excitement and happiness that children get in Spain when they see Santa.I always knew that it was important to support Riders for Health when I donated items to their auctions at Day of Champions and met with fans in the paddock and pit-lane, but to see what they do with the money they raise is amazing.
We visited a clinic and heard how hard it is for the health workers. We met people who had had to walk for many hours to visit the clinic, which had so little.One of the health workers told us they cared for a village 80 kilometres away. Without a vehicle, how would they ever reach it? The roads are so bad, and the villages are so isolated, it means that it is so important to make sure the health workers have a motorcycle.
We were also told about how Riders for Health looks after vehicles so they never break down. It is easy to see how the rough roads could cause a bike to break. That is why the technicians are so important.What I will always remember about Zambia was how warm and welcoming everyone was. The children would stop and wave to us. But it was sad to think that these children do not have the chance to be children. We saw one girl, who must have been no older than four or five, carrying her baby sister on her back. She had to look after her sister instead of having the chance to be in school or to play with her friends. In Spain we live to enjoy. In Zambia, they live to survive.
Riders for Health gave me the opportunity to take this incredible adventure, and I would like to say a big thank you to the wonderful friends I met on the ride. They were a fantastic team and I will remember them all.
It has been very important for me to see just how important the work of Riders for Health is, and how the support of all of us in MotoGP is making a difference. It is something that I will remember for the rest of my life.”
For more information about how you can join Experience Africa in 2012 email experienceafrica@riders.org
For more information about Riders for Health you can visit their website by clicking here
As we promised you earlier, we’ll bring you some more interview translations over the next few days of the several interviews Álvaro gave at the test in Valencia and throughout the still young off-season so far.
The following is an extensive interview with Jaime Martin from Marca (conducted before the official confirmation of Suzuki’s departure).
Alvaro Bautista (Talavera, 1984) could have been left without a bike now after the departure of Suzuki. But instead he has the best package for 2012: the Honda. Twist of fate… and result of his good work. He goes to a team which is badly affected by the death of Simoncelli, but has now regained the spirit. He talked to Marca after showing his support for OID.
Seeing the situation of Suzuki, which is practically out of MotoGP, it’s better that you left, right?
Before I left, the situation was unclear. In fact, the decision to leave was because of that. In principle we would have competed with the 800cc bike in 2012 and until 2013 we wouldn’t get the 1000cc. But it was not one 100% confirmed. That was the reason why I started to go around and look for other options. Right now there is only a slim chance for them to continue next year. It’s a shame for them, because it is a great team, they are a great people. They have worked very well with me these two years. They don’t deserve to be out of the championship. Suzuki is a very important factory. They should make an effort. I hope we see them in the world championship. If not next year, then to return for 2013.
After two years of struggle to make the Suzuki competitive, what is your feeling? Sadness, disappointment, frustration?
A bit of everything. We worked hard, we have solved some things about the bike. In the end the bike was not bad, it was quite competitive. Maybe not up to the level of Yamaha and Honda, but it had much improved. They were at the peak of the 4-stroke era and that’s when they pulled out. So, yes it makes me a bit sad and also frustrated for all the developments that are now gone. I would’ve wanted them not to waste it.
For you personally, you’re starting a period of motivation with perhaps the best bike of your life. Is this almost as much as what can be achieved in MotoGP?
I think the change has been very positive. For 2012 we have good material, if not the best. We are in a very experienced team. I’m very excited and motivated. We have a very good basis to start from, with references from other riders. But that does not guarantee anything. You have to work, to focus 100%. You have to keep doing things like I have done the last two years, never rest, always wanting more. If I can do that this year, I am able to achieve good results. The base material will be good. What it needs is a good setup that allows me to fight with the front guys.
In Valencia you could see firsthand that the 1000cc Honda is going well. That gives you motivation, right?
Valencia is the worst circuit for the 1000cc as it is very twisty. But they showed that they are at a fairly high level, better than the other 1000cc bikes. It also motivates you. You think, “If they are able to ride well, why shouldn’t I be able to do it?” That gives you opportunities.
In terms of expectations: You just get on it and everyone is already saying you have to be on the podium every day.
Everyone tells me: “Now that you don’t ride with Suzuki, you have to win all the races.” But all the riders who are here have very good quality. It is not easy to beat them. To be ahead, you have to have everything in place and have a good day. The first one to demand good results from me is myself. There is a required step before that which are the tests this winter. I have to use the full potential of the bike. This winter I will try not to test under pressure. I won’t say: “I have to make a good test.” They will serve me to get to know the bike and adjust my riding style and adapt it for me.
Does it make you proud to hear that the vice-president of Honda, as well as Gresini and your new crew chief Antonio Jimenenz all say they wanted to work with you for a long time?
Yes, it gives you a lot of motivation. The people inside the championship know perfectly well what everyone brings. They have seen my work, which was not easy to develop a bike alone. I am proud that already before what happened to Marco they wanted me. I will try to pay them back for the trust they put in me.
The Gresini team has been through very hard times after the death of Simoncelli, but they have already said that your arrival has restored part of their spirit and motivation. Does that also motivate you?
Yes, Fausto told me that he regained the enthusiasm with this project. Also the sponsor is quite happy. It is very important that everyone is motivated. That will make it easier to get good results.
Talking to psychologists after what happened with Marco, they said that the riders have to face that pain, which includes watching the crash several times. Have you done this?
Inevitably I have seen it. They showed it everywhere, all the time. It should be very clear that this is a risky sport and that these things, unfortunately, can occur. Luckily it rarely happens and hopefully it won’t happen again. You lose your motivation and energy a little. I’ve been sad for days, fucked up, pardon my language, but that’s how it was. When we got to the week before Valencia I tried to change the mentality, be more positive. When I felt in a better mood was after I got on the bike. I returned to just forget everything, as I always do. It was very positive, because your perspective changes. From then on everything was back to normal. It was good that we had another race, because if the championship had been over it would have been a hard winter for everyone.
You, like many Spanish riders, had many fights with him. Do you also regret, like Lorenzo, not having talked with him about things differently?
You have to put yourself in that situation. After the way he acted on the track in 2008 and 2009, I barely had a relation with him. We did not talk. But it’s true that following the issue with Japan, the riders had meetings and we returned to talk. You can say that we got along fine, we were more united. I’ve never criticized nor have I said bad things about him. I said what I had to say in the moment when it occurred. I didn’t go on about whether he’s more dangerous or not. I have discussed specific actions. Nobody could have imagined what would happen. It’s a complicated situation.
One could say that you go to a team of which two riders have died. Can that thought ever cross your mind?
I don’t think that. It’s been a coincidence. There’ve been more riders in this team and nothing has happened. Sete achieved very good results and nothing happened. It was in the same year when his teammate died. That’s it. No use for more laps or more explanations. Fausto had bad luck, it’s been a hard bit for him. No need to read more into it.
You said you were going to make a poster with your first pass of Rossi. Now with the Honda you won’t see him.
Hold on. It’s Valentino. This year, with the new bikes, no one knows what will happen. Currently you have to take all the rivals seriously. In particular Valentino. We already know what he can do.
Source: Marca
Motociclismo has published a longer interview with Álvaro today, covering most of the still unanswered questions about his signing with Gresini Honda as well as talking about his time with Suzuki and of course his outlook for 2012 with a new team and bike.
Álvaro has many good things to say about his time with the blue team as well as the bike, but is still looking forward to a new challenge with Gresini Honda next year.
He began a risky venture with Suzuki when he moved to MotoGP in 2010. Not only was he coming into a higher class, but Bautista also debuted with a bike which in theory was not at the level of Honda, Yamaha and Ducati and worked with a British team for the first time.
But the Talaverano made his way through those two seasons more than honorably, improving the development of the Suzuki and the setup, until at the end of the 2011 season he was a regular in the second group in the race. Just a few days after finishing the season he announced his immediate future with Honda and Gresini in MotoGP, although not without some uncertainty before the confirmation.
Is it true that you were going to stay with Suzuki because of external pressure? How did you get out of that situation?
“Everything was difficult because Suzuki was trying to confirm their project for next year, but they would start the season with the 800cc bike and I preferred to beginn with the 1000cc. All they could offer me was the 800cc. From then on we looked for an alternative to have a 1000cc from the beginning. When we had a good option to go with another team, everything was blocked and I don’t really know why, if because of politics or because Honda wanted to help Suzuki. So on Sunday after the Valencian Grand Prix everything that had evolved was blocked. I talked to many people, including Carmelo Ezpeleta, to find out what the situation was. This only resolved after I sat down to talk with Shinichi Sahara, the racing director of Suzuki, to make my position clear. I didn’t have the necessary motivation to compete a season with the 800cc while the other riders had the 1000cc. I didn’t feel like before when I knew that I’d at least start with equal conditions as the rest of the riders. By saying that he understood that I could not stay with Suzuki and then the doors opened to re-negotiate.”
For how long have you signed with Gresini and with what material exactly?
“The agreement with Gresini is for one season and the material we get will be the same for all riders at the beginning. The plan is that the four Hondas on the grid are identical. It is clear that when the developments arrive, the first to have that material will be the riders of the Repsol team.”
Did you want to ride a bike which is, say, more “conventional” like the Honda or Yamaha?
“Certainly I wanted to try a different bike to know how I’d do with it, but I could barely really ride the Honda, because I had less than a day with it. Until about noon I couldn’t go out on track. ”
Your first impressions with the Honda?
“On it I could confirm that it is a different bike which you have to ride in a different way. The one I tested was the one Aoyama had this season, with the electronics and gearbox different from the official riders, but I still had a good feeling because I can see a lot of potential. But still, I don’t want to draw conclusions from this test, it was just a first contact.”
After two seasons with a complicated bike like the Suzuki, did you get tired of a package that, as a factory outfit, was often behind in terms of performance, compared to Honda and Yamaha?
“The Suzuki was all I had, but I was happy because we were doing a good job. Each time it was better and if next season Suzuki would have had the 1000cc from the beginning, I’d have stayed with them almost certainly, because we were developing a good bike. Perhaps it was not on the level of Honda or Yamaha, but every day we were going better and that’s what motivated me. Thanks to the team’s work and mine, every day we were closer. I am convinced that we would have followed that line and in the end would have been with the others. In that sense I am very satisfied. We never resigned to having an inferior bike. On the contrary, improving motivated us a lot.”
The best thing about the time with Suzuki?
“Dealing with an English team has allowed me to greatly improve the language and evolve myself. Aside from the technical level I understood my needs to ride a MotoGP bike fast, which was completely new to me. I have also learned to communicate the details of the setup to make me ride better.”
And the worst? Being the only one to develop the bike?
“Suzuki had Nobuatsu Aoki as test rider, but his laptimes weren’t like those of an active rider. Sometimes they brought me new parts which Aoki liked, but then I couldn’t draw the same conclusion when riding faster. On the one hand it was me who was to develop the bike, but on the other hand the development was done thinking about my preferences and according to what I wanted, something that would have been impossible to do with another factory. Developing the bike alone was actually a good thing, because they did it for me. It is clear that there was still a way to go and details to improve, but I felt more and more comfortable with it.”
Where do you think you should be in 2012 with the material you have?
“It’s very hard to answer that. Everything will be new for me – the bike, the team with which I have to communicate well to get across the information, and the category. With the same 800cc I would have some reference, but at least I know I will start with a good base material and I hope I can be at a higher level than in the past two years. But there is still a long winter ahead of us where we also have to work hard, because of course this won’t be just arriving there and getting great results from the first moment. The level in MotoGP is very high and there are riders who have the same bike as me and more experience. I’ll be trying to adapt as quickly as possible and improve quickly. My goal as a rider is to make a step forward and I believe this is possible to achieve.”
Do you think you will have more fun with the 1000 than with the 800?
“I really don’t know what I’ll find, but it is clear that the 1000 will have more power and therefore may not need such a fast cornering to maintain an optimum engine performance. I guess that it will change the way of riding compared to the 800. I can not wait to get on it to change the mindset and ride the 1000 properly. ”
Source: Motociclismo
We’ve got a great competition here! And sooooo easy! You don’t even have to answer a question!
We have 5 sets of classic old-skool Alvaro stickers to give away: these are the genuine article – vinyl stickers with Alvaro’s “19″ symbol from the Aspar days, plus his “Bautista” name scrawl – bought by us from Alvaro’s father’s bike shop Amotos in Talevera de la Reina, Alvaro’s hometown.
The “Bautista” sticker measures approx 12cm across, whilst there are two sizes of the “19″ – one about 9cm across and the other about 17cm across. Each set contains all three stickers, in perfect condition on their backing paper – all ready for you to apply to bikes, laptops, files… whatever you want!
All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning one of these five sets of stickers is to make sure you are keeping in touch with our sister site – VROOM MAGAZINE – the website all about Spanish riders by following it on Twitter and/or Liking it on Facebook. It’s a win-win situation for you really: Vroom Magazine’s Twitter channel brings you all the latest headlines from the site and other related links of interest, whilst the Facebook page gives you extra special bits of content such as photo albums from Vroom’s GP trips, behind the scenes pics of interviewees etc – and other bits of news and info you won’t get elsewhere.
If you follow on Twitter *and* like on Facebook then your name is going to be on the draw-list twice, doubling your chances of winning!
So if you want all the latest news on ALL Spanish riders in ALL MotoGP classes, plus the pick of the news from feeder classes like CEV (the Spanish Championships) and Red Bull Rookies, then get following and enjoy the best English language Spanish rider coverage anywhere on the web with VROOM MAGAZINE.
Just click on the links below to go to the Facebook and Twitter pages, and then make sure you click on the Like and Follow buttons.
The Prize Draw will be made from a complete list of all follows and likes as of midday, December 31st 2011. Winners will be contacted in the following days and Vroom Media will take care of all posting of items to winners.
It’s November 21st – Álvaro’s 27th birthday, you can still congratulate him via Twitter – and eleven days have passed since the MotoGP season has officially finished, but regardless of that Álvaro still was rather busy in the meantime.
Firstly he travelled to Milan right after he jumped off the 800cc Gresini Honda, to attend the motorcycle fair EICMA for his sponsor Rev’It! and sign autographs, pose for photos and chat with fans.
Finally returned to his hometown Talavera de la Reina he visited the headquarters of another personal sponsor – OID – and stayed for an interview about the 2011 season and his expectations for the new year with a new team and a new bike.
Having only the weekend to relax and train a bit with Supermoto, he was again busy the next week, giving a few interviews to local radio stations before being back with his sponsor OID for the fair IFEMA in Madrid to spend some time with his fans. His visit at the fair in Madrid was also an opportunity for Europa Press and several other journalists to have a longer interview with Álvaro after his signing with the San Carlo Honda Gresini team and many of these video interviews can be watched online, like here, here, here and here.
On Friday Álvaro was again back in Madrid, joining his friends Dani Martínez, Florentino Fernandez and Anna Simon for their television show Otra Movida which included a hilarious Minimoto race that Álvaro finally won after his last “rival” crashed out twice.
And after celebrating his birthday today, Álvaro will be leaving Spain again this week for a very special adventure, joining the Riders for Health Experience Africa tour where he’ll ride through Zambia with Randy Mamola and several lucky participants to raise awareness and support Riders for Health. The trip will take place from 23rd November until 1st December.
Once he’s back home from Africa he has the annual fanclub end-of-season dinner to look forward to, which will take place on Saturday, 10th December, in Talavera de la Reina. Further information on the dinner and booking can be found on his website.
Since the Valencia test several magazines also published interviews with Álvaro. Translations of those will be posted shortly in separate articles. Below you can find the translation of some of his statements when interviewed by Europa Press. .
“It’s been a tough year. I did not start as expected with the crash in Qatar. The fracture of the left femur ruined the beginning of the year, I needed to regain confidence after that. But by mid-season everything fell into place, I rode with enthusiasm and confidence and could take small steps forward and make the bike more competitive”, he said in an interview with Europa Press.
But once he had recovered from the injury he showed a constant pace. “In practice I’ve been around sixth and seventh and I had a couple of second row starts. We lacked luck in the races, we missed opportunities to finish with good results. But we must be satisfied, we have done the maximum.”
The Castilian-La Mancha native has already made “first contact” with the Gresini team, although with the 800cc bike of Hiroshi Aoyama. “I wanted to see how the feeling is, because it is different from the Suzuki and I have to get used to another way of riding. It is the world champion bike, but I can adapt.”
However, until the end of next January he won’t be able to ride with the 1000cc bike. “I’m looking forward to see how this new category works”, he said while explaining that the new machines are “faster. They have more power. You’ll have to control the power when you touch the throttle out of corners, but I have not tested it yet and don’t know how it’s going to be.”
On the withdrawal of Suzuki he stated that it’s “a shame and frustrating” after he competed for two years with the brand. “The team was fantastic, with great professionals. Everyone knew what they had to do. I feel bad, because those are people who I have a lot of affection for; it seems that lately we’ve seen more [of the potential] and I hate that it stops suddenly, we had found a path which was tough to get to and this is now gone, it’s a shame and frustrating.”
Asked about his predictions for next season, he believes the favourites will still be same, despite the new formula and knows that for him it will be “difficult to fight with the first”, but at the same time he’ll have “much room for improvement.”
“Stoner must defend the title as he takes the number 1 plate, Lorenzo must return to fight again for that number 1 and Pedrosa has been a candidate for many years. Everybody says that ‘This year he will win’ and he has to be one of the candidates. But let’s see the level of the others. On paper those are the three who will fight for the championship next year.”
For him personally, he finds it a little more difficult to set goals. “A change of bike and team, I have to start working with them, get used to the bike, change the way I ride… it will be important to adapt to this bike, it is difficult to set goals. I don’t know what I can achieve, I want to go step by step, feel comfortable and work well with the team and do my best. There is a good basis to start from and gives me assurance to start the year.”
From the finished 2011 season his favourite race he likes to remember is the German Grand Prix at Sachsenring: “The fight in Germany with Valentino [Rossi] and [Nicky] Hayden was spectacular and fantastic for the spectators, with many great passses and I beat them both. I’ll stick with that race, it was special, a head-to-head battle where I could beat them; I have good memories of this Grand Prix.”
Speaking of Valentino Rossi, although he had a very difficult season with Ducati, Álvaro does not count him out: “He’s a great rider, to me the best ever, I doubt anyone can repeat his success. This year he had it rough, the Ducati is not as easy to ride as the Yamaha or Honda, it was more difficult. Also the level is higher than when he joined Yamaha, when nobody bet on him.” He is convinced that with a Ducati to the taste of Valentino he will win again. “I don’t know if [he can win] the championship, but I’m sure he’ll get back to win races, he has a lot of experience under his belt and never gives up. Although he is one of the oldest riders, he is as eager as a youngster who just arrived.”
Looking at the new regulations for 2012, he is convinced that CRT machines are the future of the class, but also admits that they are not entirely to his liking. “They are less made for racing than what we have. Those of us who ride with MotoGP do not like it, but when everyone has it, it is what it is. In the future there will be more equality and it’ll be more in the hands of the rider than in the technology.”
Even though the Spanish “Armada” has taken “only” one title this season, Nico Terol in 125cc, Álvaro believes that nationally there is “a good level. Last year we got used to it with so many Spaniards winning and this year it’s only the title for Nico, but if Marquez had not had the problem in Malaysia he could’ve also been champion.” However, it’s clear that “you can’t always win everything. Marquez and Lorenzo are each runner-up. We have been in the fight, because the level is high and we should be proud of it”, he added while recognizing that another season in Moto2 is a good choice for Marc Marquez.
Finally, the former 125cc world champion felt nostalgic after the Goodbye of the 125cc class: “The two-strokes are very special bikes, those of all my life. Since I came to MotoGP, the preseason is separate. When in the first race the 125s go out on track it’s a distinct smell, that of life, it makes me nostalgic and it’s a shame they are gone, but the future are the four-strokes and Moto3 is a good base because it is the future.”
Source Interview: Europa Press
Photos: Rizla Suzuki, Twitter Alvaro Bautista, Twitter Inma Rodriguez
