Alvaro Bautista improved on his result from Qatar by one place today as he took sixth place in his home Grand Prix at Jerez at the end of a difficult weekend.

The Spaniard had an early battle before establishing a comfort level that allowed him to move swiftly forward, after
which he found himself alone for most of the race.

Bizzarre weather has thrown a spanner in the works of the teams and riders ever since first practice on Friday but for Bautista this result is an important platform to build from as the series heads on to the next round at Estoril in just a week’s time and a positive way to celebrate his 150th Grand Prix appearance.

Alvaro Bautista (6th) “It has been a difficult weekend because of the weather, but finally we got dry conditions for the race even though there were a few spots around. It was really important to be patient over the opening laps, but maybe I was too careful over the opening laps and I wasn’t able to get involved in the battle at the very front. Once I got comfortable with the track conditions I was able to pass Bradl and Hayden, but Dovizioso, Pedrosa and Crutchlow were too far ahead by then and I just had to defend the position I was in. We have gone one better than Qatar and improved our confidence with this bike, which are the main things we take away from the weekend. I want to thank the team for the great job they have done especially in such challenging conditions this weekend.”

Fausto Gresini “Alvaro had a good race after a very difficult weekend because of the weather. He struggled a bit at the start, but after his crash yesterday it was important he stayed upright over the opening laps and managed to bring home the kind of result I was expecting. Maybe if he’d been more decisive in the opening stages he could have fought with Dovizioso, but he rode well anyway and we’re happy because we’re on an upward curve.”

Source: Gresini Racing

Mixed conditions again threatened to spoil the MotoGP action at Jerez today but in the end the rain stayed clear long enough for a dry qualifying practice.

The session began on a dry track under puffy white clouds. But the clouds darkened on the horizon as they moved east and threatened to turn the session into a wet one. A very light rain fell on parts of the track, but the rain dampened the riders’ enthusiasm for pushing as much as it did the track. And after some time, the clouds left and the battle for the pole began.

Alvaro Bautista’s day didn’t start out in the best possible fashion with a crash in the wet final free practice this morning but the Spaniard recovered his confidence to qualify eighth fastest in the afternoon. The Spaniard found an unknown vibration in the front end, which caused him to lose the front and crash. Bautista put that behind him in qualifying, while being careful to avoid the damp patches that caught a number of riders out. His strategy was to not take unnecessary risks, and starting from the middle of the third row was his reward.

Alvaro Bautista (8th 1’ 41” 447) “Today was another difficult day. This morning we worked on solving our issues from yesterday but only made slight improvements. Then when we were trying a new setting the bike was vibrating a lot into the first turn and I lost the front and crashed. We were able to use the slick tyre this afternoon even though there were still some damp patches out there with the threat of more rain. After my crash this morning I didn’t want to risk more than necessary so a third row start isn’t bad and if we get a good start we can be fighting for a good result. ”

Fausto Gresini “To be honest we expected better today, especially from Alvaro, but we haven’t been able to solve our problems from yesterday. The crash didn’t help matters but I am still confident for the race because Alvaro always finds a little extra and I am expecting a good result from him.”

Source: Gresini Racing / Honda Pro Racing

Mixed weather on the opening day of the Spanish Grand Prix made for difficult conditions at Jerez. Alvaro Bautista completed only a handful of laps in the damp this morning, but spent most of the afternoon session lapping on the fully wet track to find a good setup for these conditions, finishing the day in 7th position.

Alvaro Bautista (Free Practice 2 – 7th 1’ 53.166) “It has been a very difficult day because of the mixed weather. This morning the light rainfall did not wet the track enough for us to use the wet tyres properly so we only managed four laps. It was pretty damp this afternoon though so we were able to gather some confidence with this bike in the wet and found a way forward with the set-up, although a couple of little problems slowed my progress. As the track dried it was more and more difficult to work so we’ll have to wait for tomorrow now and see what we get.”

Fausto Gresini “It has been a tough day and difficult conditions to work in. Alvaro has done a good job despite suffering from a chatter problem for the first time. It is the first time we have used wet tyres so maybe this was the reason. We will work hard to put things right tomorrow.”

Source: Gresini Racing

Team San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Alvaro Bautista produced a result that was above expectations in tonight’s Grand Prix of Qatar after a difficult weekend, which had gotten even worse in warmup with a high-speed crash.

But the plucky Spaniard still battled hard to finish seventh, just 0.033 seconds shy of sixth after a thrilling battle with factory Ducati rider Nicky Hayden. Bautista was the only rider on a prototype machine to use the softer option Bridgestone rear tyre, which he put to good effect. What still held him back was a lack of front end feel and exit speed.

Alvaro Bautista (7th) “We have finished a problematic weekend in a good way. I have struggled for front feel in practice and then we had another crash on a cold tyre in warm-up. That was a problem for us because we had gone back to the setting from winter testing but only got chance to try it on the sighting lap and warm-up lap. I made a good start and stayed with the group I was in, fighting for sixth to the end and only just missing out. We were still lacking some front feel and a bit of speed in corner exit, which would have helped out in the fight with Hayden. Anyway, I am happy because it is the first race I have finished since Aragon last year so that’s important. I have to thank the whole team for working so hard to give me the bike I’m asking for. I have great confidence in them and I am sure we will improve for the next race.”

Fausto Gresini “Alvaro had a good race considering the fact he was lacking confidence with the front throughout practice and crashed in warm-up. He rode well after a difficult weekend and showed that he has the potential to take this bike forward over the coming season. It was important to finish the race and he did that without ever backing down from the fight for sixth so I am happy and confident about the future.”

Shinji Aoki – Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Department
“This race was very exciting and a very positive first competitive outing for our 2012 specification tyres. Yamaha and Honda both showed very good race pace and I am encouraged by the consistency of lap times throughout the entire field as it showed the predictable wear characteristics of our new specification tyres.

Some riders opted for the softer rear option and in particular Alvaro Bautista’s good performance showed that this was a viable option for some riders and shows how well the asymmetric construction worked around the Losail circuit. It was a very good race for Bridgestone and an exciting race for the fans and I overall I am very pleased with how our tyres performed in Qatar.”

Sources: Gresini Racing, Bridgestone Motorsport, Honda Pro Racing

Michele Pirro continues to surprise on board the Honda CBR 1000R powered FTR CRT machine despite it having on a few hundred kilometres on the clock. The Italian rookie shaved a second and a half off his best time from yesterday in tonight’s second and third free practice sessions and could have gone even faster but for a small technical setback with the bike. Alvaro Bautista struggled for front feel on the RC213V tonight and has work to do ahead of tomorrow night’s qualifying session.

Alvaro Bautista (10th 1’ 56” 771) “Today wasn’t a good day for us – we tried to improve the feeling with the bike from yesterday but didn’t manage it. My feeling with the front just doesn’t allow me to push although when we changed to the soft tyre it improved so maybe we should have done that from the start and we’d be in better shape right now. Anyway, it’s important to try these things because we need to make our tyre choice for the race. After 11 laps we had more grip than we’d had with the hard so I think the soft has good potential for the race. Now we need to look at the data and try to improve the front.”

Fausto Gresini “It wasn’t an easy night for Alvaro. He struggled more than yesterday and we need to know why. There is one particular section of track that he’s having difficulty with so we need to have a close look at the data and try to get more out of the bike. I should say that apart from the top guys everybody else is very close so it looks like it could be a tight race from fourth place back.

Source: Gresini Racing

The first day of the 2012 MotoGP World Championship took place today under the impressive floodlights of the Losail Circuit in Qatar. Alvaro Bautista spent the opening free practice session on the same tyre throughout and although he has yet to find full confidence with the Honda RC213V around this track he is not too far from the top times.

Alvaro Bautista (7° 1’57.512) “The 2012 season is finally underway on a track that always has grip problems in the first session. We have tried to work to find a good feeling for the bike, but I had some problems in corner entry with a little front end chatter that prevented me from being able to push. We used the same hard rear tyre for the whole session and with the track in these conditions that gave us a lot of spinning that made it difficult to get on the gas, so tomorrow we will work with the electronics and the chassis geometry and try to improve my overall confidence with the bike.”

Fausto Gresini “The first session hasn’t gone badly. Bautista’s race pace is not far off the top guys and we still haven’t used the soft tyre so I’m pretty satisfied. We are working towards the race and we have some ideas that should help Alvaro gain confidence with the bike. Pirro’s performance was a nice surprise, with just three tenths separating him from the best of the CRT bikes, which is incredible considering how new our bike is. Overall a positive start.”

Source: Gresini Racing

The lights go up on the 2012 MotoGP World Championship this weekend as the Qatari capital city of Doha and the circuit of Losail play host to the 64rd edition of the world’s oldest motorsport. There is extra excitement this year, with the novelty of night racing added to by the dawn of the CRT MotoGP era and Moto3. Claiming Rule Teams represent the future of elite motorcycle racing and Team San Carlo Honda Gresini are taking on the challenge with a new bike featuring a chassis made by FTR and a Honda CBR 1000R engine, to be ridden by Michele Pirro. Meanwhile Team San Carlo Honda Gresini will also be battling on par with the top riders in the class, with Alvaro Bautista riding a Honda RC213V. After intense testing at Sepang and, most recently, Jerez, the talented Spaniard is close to finding an optimum feeling with the Japanese machine and a few small changes should allow him to step up his already impressive race pace and fight for glory at the front of the pack. Pirro has plenty more work to do, having only ridden his new machine three times during which time it has shown excellent potential but encountered understandable teething problems. It is a difficult new chapter in the history of Team San Carlo Honda Gresini because it goes ahead without Marco Simoncelli, a situation that provokes mixed emotions. However, the whole team are committed to their passion and determined to continue with Marco always in their hearts.

Alvaro Bautista “Finally we’re hitting the track for the first race after preseason testing at Sepang and Jerez. I am really looking forward to racing again because testing is pretty stressful with so much work to do in and out of the box, the days are endless. Now is the time for the real action, for us to give everything to the task and experience that adrenaline that only racing provides. This will be my first race with Team San Carlo Honda Gresini and it’s exciting because the guys are working well and I think we have made the connection we need for me to exploit my potential in Qatar. I like the circuit, it’s fast and flowing and has a nice long straight. Unfortunately I am still not keen on the idea of racing at night, even though the track is well lit it is still not the same as racing in the day. It is also usually quite humid, which makes the track surface slippery and even though the race takes place earlier this year I still think it will be a problem. Anyway, it is an investing event and I have the machinery to be fighting at the front so I will be giving my best to do that.”

Fausto Gresini “It all starts again now but I can’t honestly imagine right now what this first Grand Prix is going to be like for us. It is a brand new championship for everybody and we are taking on a new, difficult challenge. We believe in it, we enjoy it and maybe that is a defect or maybe it’s a quality. We want to do well and we think we can because Alvaro has a good bike and every chance of running at the front. Testing went quite well and we have the potential to be fighting for fourth, fifth or sixth place. We suffered at Jerez because of two minor but needless crashes that our engineers have been studying so that we can help Alvaro get his confidence back as soon as possible. This is a chance for Alvaro to show his ability but also for us to start looking to the future because Marco’s tragedy hit us hard. Marco is and always will be in our hearts, the pain is still fresh and strong but we decided to carry on, we are doing it with Alvaro and this is the best way.”

Source: Gresini Racing

After two days of inclement weather the conditions finally held out on the third and last day of testing at Sepang, allowing the teams to work without interruption. Team San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Alvaro Bautista finished seventh fastest after making the most of his only full day of testing as he continued to adapt to the Honda RC213V. In the morning he had a minor cold tyre crash in turn eight which he escaped without injury, but made one of his machines unusable. Despite this he was still able to put in 51 laps.

With his lone Honda, he concentrated on suspension settings, both front and rear, and finished the test nearly a second closer to Stoner than he had earlier this month, while also clocking his best ever lap time at Sepang. Rider and crew can head home feeling satisfied and confident before returning to duty at Jerez from 23rd to 25th March for the final test of the 2012 preseason.

Alvaro Bautista ( 2’ 01” 275 – 51 laps): “I am satisfied because we were finally able to get a full day under our belt after being here for two days already and only managing to get out on track for the first morning. Obviously it was a tough day because we had to pack everything in, so we started out first thing this morning and only took a short break at the hottest part of the day. We worked mainly on adapting to the 1000cc bike and even though I was tired by the end of the day I was satisfied with our progress. Unfortunately I made a mistake on my first lap of one run when the tyres were still not up to temperature and ran wide onto the astroturf and then had a small crash. Luckily I wasn’t hurt and we were able to continue working on the other bike, mainly with suspension settings, and putting together a decent rhythm. I am happy though because we have taken a big step forward and closed the gap to the top guys. We know we still have a long way to go but I am confident because the relationship with the team is great and I know we will make more progress in the next test at Jerez.”

Fausto Gresini: “This has been an important test for us because Alvaro needed a lot of laps on the RC213V to get confident with the bike and above all learn the methods required to work on a Honda, which is different to what he was riding last year. He also needs more time on the 1000cc bike because he has not had as much opportunity to ride as some of the other riders. We had some technical updates to test in terms of the suspension, which we are pleased with, but we also need time and information to get the best out of them. Overall it has been a positive test because Alvaro knows that he can set a better lap time and he has improved since the last test, closing the gap to the fastest guys. It is a shame about the crash because it set him back a little but we are satisfied and optimistic about the future.”

Official Laptimes Day3
1 Casey Stoner Repsol Honda Team 2:00.473
2 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 2:00.648 +0.175
3 Andrea Dovizioso Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:00.802 +0.329
4 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha Factory Racing 2:00.877 +0.404
5 Cal Crutchlow Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:00.986 +0.513
6 Hector Barbera Pramac Racing Team 2:01.231 +0.758
7 Alvaro Bautista San Carlo Honda Gresini 2:01.275 +0.802
8 Ben Spies Yamaha Factory Racing 2:01.432 +0.959
9 Stefan Bradl LCR Honda 2:01.492 +1.019
10 Valentino Rossi Ducati Team 2:01.550 +1.077
11 Nicky Hayden Ducati Team 2:01.609 +1.136
12 Franco Battaini Cardion AB Motoracing 2:03.490 +3.017
13 Colin Edwards NGM Mobile Forward Racing 2:03.681 +3.208
14 Yonny Hernandez Avintia Racing 2:06.632 +6.159
15 Ivan Silva Avintia Racing 2:06.785 +6.312

Source: Gresini Racing