Álvaro Bautista
Number: 19
Place of birth: Talavera de la Reina
Date of birth: 21/Nov/1984
Weight: 59 kg
Height: 167 cm
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Álvaro Bautista is one of the Spanish youngsters who proved his potential in Spain’s Movistar Cup, which also launched countryman Dani Pedrosa’s career. The man from Talavera made his Grand Prix debut in 2002, the year in which he also took second overall in the Spanish 125cc Championship. The following year, he only managed 20th overall in the 125cc World Championship, but his season was highlighted by a fourth place finish at Phillip Island and a sixth at Valencia. That same year he clinched the title in his domestic championship.
2004 saw him moving up to seventh overall, after taking four podium finishes, namely a second place at Donington and third at Losail, Sepang and Valencia. After a disastrous 2005, the following season was Bautista’s best ever, as he broke numerous records on his way to eight victories and a maiden 125cc Championship. Staying with the Aspar Team, the Spaniard moved up to 250cc in 2007 and with wins at Estoril and Mugello, plus five further podiums, he was the quarter-litre class´ Rookie of the Year.
Following the departure of the category’s 2007 big guns into MotoGP, Bautista was one of the hot favourites for the 2008 250cc title, but some bad luck early in the campaign and the good form of unexpected rival Marco Simoncelli meant the Mapfre Aspar rider had to settle for the runner-up spot after a string of 11 consecutive podium positions.
He was set for another title assault in 2009 and led the championship in the first part of the year until a collision with Hiroshi Aoyama at Assen gave the lead to the Japanese rider. Always staying close to the Honda contender, Bautista looked ready battle for the title until the end, but and engine seizure at Estoril while fighting for the lead robbed him of his chances and two further crashes in the next races at Australia and Malaysia left the Spaniards fourth in his final 250cc campaign.
In 2010 he moved up to the MotoGP class with Suzuki as the only rookie on a factory bike, circumventing the newly instated “Rookie Rule”. He got off to a rocky start when he injured himself in a motocross accident before the third race in Le Mans and a further crash with cold tyres at the French GP aggravated his injuries, setting the focus in the first part of the season on his recovery. But a 5th place at Catalunya and a string of top ten positions towards the end of the season, including another 5th at Malaysia, showed the enormous potential of the youngster on what was said to be possibly the worst bike on the grid.
For 2011 he remained the sole rider for the team, completing the year again with a best finish of fifth at Silverstone. After Suzuki left the MotoGP championship Bautista switched to Honda machinery for 2012, joining the Gresini Team to contest his third year in the premier class.
Source: motogp.com
