Winner of four races already in 2022, Bautista has more than confirꦺmed the early pre-season promise he and Ducati showed by challenging Jonathan Rea and reigning WorldSBK champion Toprak Razgatlioglu. 

As the only rider to have step f🌠oot on the podium in every race, Bautista’s blend of stunning𓃲 pace and consistency has made him a tough nut to crack. 

Bautista looked to have secured his fifth win of the year during race two at Estoril, however, 💦an inventive last-lap overtake from Rea saw the Kawasaki ride🐼r narrowly beat the former MotoGP rider. 

Still, Bautista has been a match for both Rea and Razgatlioglu through the opening nine races, something that should continue🀅 at a track where Ducati have enjoyed huge amounts of success.

In 2021 Michael Ruben Rinaldi dominated the opening two races before clinching second in race two - victory instead went the𝄹 way of Razgatlioglu who will be desperate to get his title defence up and running after failing to win so far this season. 

“If I can have f🐻un on the bike, I can be competitive,” said Bautista. “It w♎ill be nice if I can win all three races for the fans, so just trying to enjoy it together. It’s a track that’s very short and we saw in the past [a lot of] fighting in the races. 

“Here, my teammate Rinaldi won two r🦂aces last year. He was second in race two so he will be competitive. I don’t think this round will only be three riders fighting for the victory, we are also talking about Michael to fight for the victory. 

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“It’s a track that’s very te💖chnical and the differences are very small compared to othꦿer tracks. 

“I thin♚k there will be more riders fighting for victory and for the podium; it’ll be more exciting for everybody wat꧃ching the races.”

Can Pirelli’s new SCX rear tyres gꦬive six-time WorldSBK champion Rea an advan𓆉tage?

Last season’s Emilia-Romagna round was a tough one for Rea, with the Kawasaki rider on t𒐪he limit throughout all three races.

Trying to keep pace with Rinaldi and Razgatlioglu, Misano wasꦯ also the scene of an incredible save f📖rom the Northern Irishman after he lost the front at turn one. 

But while Rea w🥂as busy producing miracles, Raz🅰gatlioglu and Rinaldi were able to clear off and battle it out for victory. 

While tyres haven’t been an issue for Rea and Kawasaki so far 🏅this season - instead their ability to make different compounds work has been a big strength ♏- having different SCX options available should be a benefit, not a hindrance.

Rea added: "Last year, our biggest nemesis was the SCX tyre. We could only really work that tyre in the real hot conditions. Estoril [this year] was i𓆉n the꧒ mid-20s. We would be scared of that last year. 

"Race twoℱ showed us that we could be convinced that we can use that tyre now. All our work in the offseason has paid off. I feel like at the end of the race, we had the better tyre and was able to go forward and catch Alvaro and spring a pass on the last lap. 

"That gives us some confidence that these summer races🐷 can be even better. 

"I’m just enjoying racing, enjoying riding the bike and❀ the b☂attle right now at the front with Toprak and Alvaro, two very different characters on the track, is really fun but I expect a lot more to join that party at Misano." 

In regards to the tyres Pirelli have brought forward for Misan⛎o, the two rear ‘solutions’ have been developed with an eye on count🌠ering high track temperatures which are expected.

Giorgio Barbier, Pirelli Motorsport Director, said: "So far this year, we haven't brough♍t any development solutions for the rear, so we'll do it at Misano. The ওgoal is to further improve the performance of the SCX and that’s the reason why we have developed two solutions with different characteristics compared to the standard option. 

"Both solutions use the samꦦe compound, which is however different from the s🍒tandard, and offer two different options in terms of structure. 

"It will therefore be interesting to understand how they behave on a typically challenging track, which can be even more demanding in the case of particularly high temperatures. In short🍸, an excellent test bench."