WSBK is a bit weird currently IMO, there aren't many up and coming standout riders factory teams would take a punt on unless your name is Johnny or Toprak. Bautista was Ducati's best chance 2 years ago winning something like 11 races but then his season just went away, I would guess after the RPM reduction, so it makes sense to get him back as there isn't anyone else to challenge those 2 at the front. Time will tell whether it was a good or bad decision though.
Bautista is a risk, no doubt, they made a really good point I think on commentary that he was winning loads of races with him when he had a RPM advantage, which at first was around 1k revs, and I think then got reduced by 500rpm and Kawasaki's got put up by 300rpm. After this, he started crashing, and JR just started winning which sort of swung the championship.
I think simply a case of over-riding as any advantage had been lost. If they did the same to Rae, Kawasaki would be on about 9k revs by now…makes you wonder where’s the tinfoil…
Does smack of desperation. I'd sooner see someone like Tommy Bridewell or Christian Iddon on it, who are perhaps hungrier for success than a massive pay cheque alone. Bautista is a seasoned and very fast rider but I don't see any marked advantage over Kawasaki and Yamaha, that the current iteration of the bike can offer, other than it's straight line grunt. Bautista IMHO, would not fair any better at competing, than either of the above on board.
Rea before he retires needs to be on the Ducati and test himself on the Italian bike that's second best at the minute, and get Bautista on the green one.
I honestly think if Rea and his team moved to any other team and got same many support they’d be winners.
100% Slick is the only word that reflects their organisatational skills, but it would be great to see if they could pull it off.
