Alvaro Bautista’s return to Aruba.it Ducati continues to shine bright as WorldSBK looks to Estoril and round three this weekend.

Having yet to finish off the podium in the opening six races of 2022, Bautista has three victories and the WorldSBK Championship lead to his name heading to Portugal.

18 points separate him from title rival Jonathan Rea, although the Kawasaki rider has more successful experience of the Lisbon track than his Spanish opponent after two difficult years aboard the developing Honda.

“We are all very charged up for this race,”Bautista admitted from the Portuguese paddock. “After the round in The Netherlands, where the feeling with the bike was really excellent, there is a great desire to get back on track and try to get that feeling back right away.

“The Estoril circuit is a bit of a special track: lots of very demanding braking areas, several of stop and go, a beautiful and long last corner. I’ve done some good results in the past even though I’ve never ridden on this circuit with the Ducati. As always we’ll try to get the most out of every race.”