Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1494211
Bautista Loves It Two Times In Indonesia WorldSBK T he slippery Mandalika track surface in Indonesia was no joke for general rider safety, but it didn't stop a weekend of dramas and unlikely outcomes at the Indonesian round of the WorldSBK Championship, March 3-5, such as Alvaro Bautista (Ducati) being almost completely dominant again, the Kawasakis not making a miracle one-week - end turnaround after Phillip Is- land's reversals, or front tire wear rates determining almost every- body's eventual race outcomes. On Saturday, Toprak Razgatlio- glu's (Yamaha) push and talent was translated to a win at what may be Razgatlioglu's favorite circuit, but only in Superpole qualifying at that point. Unfor - tunately for Razgatlioglu, his triumph over his pitbox partner Andrea Locatelli was only for second place in race one, as way-out-front man Bautista was untouchable once he got past Razgatlioglu for good. Bautista took only until lap five to pass Razgatlioglu, and from then on in it was a gap hold - ing operation to win (eventually slowing up) by 4.809 seconds. Bautista even got to use a statement tire option, with an SC1 front and an SCX-A (the development 800, as it is tech - nically) on the back. His team- mate Michael Ruben Rinaldi ran the same tire choices, but he fell after lunging too hard on the brakes into T1, hitting Axel Bassani's Motocorsa Ducati, and causing several moments for the following pack to deal with. The leading three would eventually drop some fast early competitors, in the shape of Bassani and a slightly recovering Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki). Suffering from gastroenteritis, along with much of the WorldS - BK paddock, Rea was not quite himself, but his bike was way off again. He was ninth in race one. Bassani would eventually be fourth and Danilo Petrucci a best-yet fifth on his Barni Spark Racing Ducati. If Saturday had dramas, Sun - day at Mandalika held melodra- mas. The Superpole race was halted by a crash that Danilo Petrucci said Alex Lowes started, and vice versa, but Petrucci did not fall, although he suffered a damaged exhaust. Both Lowes and Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) fell, with Lowes' bike so smashed he was allowed to race a spare in what was a completely new Superpole race, albeit over only eight laps, not the regular 10. Rea would crash soon after, and the red flags came out as there was evidently fluid of some kind on the track. Another collision in that restarted race between Baz and Lowes took place when Lowes was attempting a pass on the tall Frenchman. Lowes went inside into the braking zone of T10, but just as he made his move Baz performed a leg dangle to help in Alvaro Bautista celebrates another double at the Indonesian round two of the WorldSBK Championship. PHOTOS: GOLD & GOOSE WIND IN THE P32