It is always a pleasure to interview Alvaro Bautista, who is a positive person, driven by a great passion that generates uncommon professionalism.

He will turn 41 on 21 November, but he has no intention of giving up his passion, the same passion that has characterised his entire life. He trains hard, mentally as well, because for him, being a rider is now a way of life. The last two years have been characterised by a rule that forces him to add 7 kg to his bike. Alvaro (and many with him) consider this an injustice, one that affects his riding more than one might think. ‘This rule limits the positive aspects of my riding and exacerbates the negative ones.’ Bautista faces these difficulties with determination and courage, the same courage he showed when he chose to move to a private team like Marco Barnabò's, which will provide him with a highly professional technical staff and a bike on a par with the official riders.

His favourite bike, the one he is most attached to, is at home, and it is the Aprilia 125 with which he won the world title in 2006. The one he liked the least is the Honda 125, which made him struggle but at the same time taught him a lot. And the new Panigale? Alvaro has already tried it, but only briefly, and is not yet able to give an opinion. The new red bike has all the makings of a competitive machine, and Bautista hopes it will allow him to fight for the world title again.