Alvaro Bautista is the 2023 Superbike World Champion

Alvaro Bautista is the 2023 World Superbike Champion. It has been an extraordinary season for the Spanish rider who, riding the Ducati Panigale V4 of the Aruba.it Racing - Ducati team, today took his 25th victory of a memorable championship, winning the world title for the second year in a row.

For Ducati it is the sixteenth WorldSBK Riders' Title, making the overall record for the category even more solid. Alvaro Bautista and the Ducati Panigale V4R of the Aruba.it Racing - Ducati team, together with team-mate Michael Rinaldi and Danilo Petrucci of the Barni team and Axel Bassani of the Motocorsa team, also contributed to the Manufacturers' title (the nineteenth in Ducati's history) obtained at the eleventh round held at the end of September at Portimao (Portugal).

Stefano Cecconi (Team Principal Aruba.it Racing - Ducati): "This result makes us extremely happy and proud not only because it highlights the extraordinary work carried out by Alvaro and the whole team, but also because it is proof that last year's victory rested on extremely solid foundations that have allowed us to reconfirm ourselves. From the outside it may have looked like a season in 'control', but instead we had to overcome many obstacles, a few mistakes of our own, and opponents who were, as always, incredibly tough. However, Alvaro and the whole team have always reacted with clear ideas, strong determination, and also some masterpieces like the last race at Portimao that I think will remain in the books of Superbike.

Claudio Domenicali (Ducati CEO): “In this historic moment of the Superbike World Championship, Alvaro Bautista and the Ducati Panigale V4 R are the best combination an enthusiast could wish for. The incredible performance offered by the motorcycle and the technical and psychological mastery with which Bautista has managed this season, setting a new record for victories in a single Championship, have created a great spectacle in every race weekend. The Bautista-Panigale V4 R combination has made it possible to achieve a result that fills us with joy and gives value to all the choices made in recent years by Ducati in WorldSBK. The reconfirmation of the World Riders' Title, in addition to the World Manufacturers' Title, is not something to be taken for granted: we have entered the 2023 season with the new Panigale V4 R characterized by a series of innovative technical solutions for the engine, and these have proven to be successful, confirming the Panigale to be the best motorcycle on the grid.

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati #1): "It was an unforgettable year also because we managed to win by beating the competition of strong riders like Toprak and Johnny. Defending a title is always very difficult and for this reason I am really proud of what we have done this season. I chose at the beginning of the year to put the number one on the bike to make this challenge even more exciting. I want to thank the whole team for the extraordinary work that has allowed me to have a fantastic feeling with the Panigale V4R. My goal was to have fun and I had a great time. And thanks of course to Aruba.it and Ducati for believing in me. To win here, in front of my family and so many fans was an immense joy.