Honda finally on the box
Power pays off as Bautista takes third
Spaniard Alvaro Bautista ended a 37race run without a podium for both himself and Honda as he finished third in Barcelona.
Not only was it a pleasant way to make up for the giant highside Bautista suffered while leading the same Sprint Race last year, but it was only HRC’s second rostrum since returning to WSB as a full-time entrant; their previous top three came courtesy of the Spaniard at MotorLand Aragon over a year ago. Honda’s success means all five manufacturers have achieved podium finishes this year: further recognition of the stable technical regulations which have allowed the field to bunch up significantly, coupled with strict testing rules which prevent the wealthier teams from pulling significantly ahead in the development stakes.
After qualifying 16th, Bautista was as surprised as anybody but took advantage of his improved grid position following a red flag, plus rapid starts and significant horsepower advantage which left rivals in his wake on the kilometrelong straight. The 36-year-old reaped the rewards of his MotoGP track knowledge while his Sprint podium gifted a front row start for Race 2, which saw him ride to fourth and miss a second top three by just two tenths of a second.
Honda’s chief issue has been power delivery; so often the bikes are seen spinning their rear tyres and completely out of shape. However, in Race 2 Bautista had a different problem: “I had to adjust the brake lever every two laps because it kept coming closer to my hand, so I had to keep moving it further away.
“For the last three or four races we have had a better base setup, allowing us to start each weekend with the same feedback as the previous one. It means the groundwork is done.”
Despite the improvement it looks set to be all change for 2022 in terms of line-up with HRC boss Alberto Puig favouring Grand Prix men. Tech3 KTM MotoGP rider Iker Lecuona continues to be named, while Petronas Moto2 man Xavi Vierge has tweeted that HRC talks are ongoing.
‘For me as a newcomer it’s like a dream’