'It doesn't matter whether it’s here or Australia, the important thing is that we get it.' WorldSBK champion-elect 19Bautista isn't anxious to get the title sealed with a round to spare this weekend in Mandalika:
The Spanish rider arrives at the penultimate round of the season with a comfortable 82-point lead, meaning he could afford to lose 20 points to nearest rival Toprak Razgatlioglu over the course of the weekend in Indonesia and still be crowned champion ahead of next weekend's Phillip Island finale.
Despite the fact he is closing on a first Ducati WSBK title since his countryman Carlos Checa's 2011 triumph, Bautista insists he won't change his approach this weekend, and expects a challenge on his first visit to the newly-resurfaced semi-street venue aboard the V4 R Panigale."It will be our first time with Ducati, so we have a lot of work to do, especially on Friday to find a good reference, the setup of the bike, the gearing. For sure we have to work like we did in Argentina.
"For sure it won't be an easy weekend. I won’t have time to think about the championship or match point, I think it’s better to be focused on the real problems we have and then we try to do our best, to work as best as possible, and let's see what happens."Should Bautista seal the deal this weekend at Mandalika, it would follow just days on from Francesco Bagnaia winning Ducati its first MotoGP riders' title since 2007 in last weekend's Valencia finale.
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