Alvaro Bautista arrived at Cremona Circuit for the WorldSBK Itali𒈔an Round unsure of whether he could ride, and ended it with two podiums.

The Spanish rider suffered mostly in Superpole, where he qualified only 13th, but in Race 1♋ he finished third on Saturday.

Despite his effort in Saturday’s✅ race, Bautista felt ꦰno worse physically when riding in Sunday’s races.

“My day has been very positive because todaꦡy I felt better riding my bike, with less pain than yesterday,” Bautista said. “So, for me, that’s the important [thing], that, after yesterday’s effort, today I don’t feel worse, I feel even a bit better.”

Speakingꦛ more specifically about his races on Sunday, Bautista explained how he had to manage the pain he felt from his injury in order to wor꧒k his way to the podium.

“In the Superpole Race, I can make a good comeback — was not easy, because only 10 laps, starting from the back (13th), everybody is pushing 100 per cent without [worrও🃏ying] about the tyres, so was more difficult than yesterday. But I can recover a lot of positions, and it gave me a good grid position for Race 2.

“[I𝔍n Race 2] I did a good start, I just tried to stay, at the b🐽eginning, with the group, because I knew that the first few laps are more critical for me, because the bike is more heavy; also here, with the pain, I need like two or three laps to just forget the pain and start to be focused on riding.

“So, I tried to not lose too much, especially in the first five laps. Then I tried to find my pace, and it was really good because it was faster than yesterday so I was really happy, and also the feel𓄧ing with the bike was really good.

“When I was in podium po🌠sition, I say 🐲‘okay, it’s nice but maybe, if you can keep your pace, who knows?’ Because, yesterday, I saw that Danilo [Petrucci] and Nicolo [Bulega] in the last laps slow down.

“So, I just keep the same pace [i🔜n case] they [did the same] as yesterday. They🔯 were more consistent than yesterday, but in any case I can catch Bulega.

“I was very close to pass him in some points, but I’m not in that moment that I can risk, or I can force more because I’m not feeling 100 per cent💛 fit, and also because a crash in my situation could be horrible.

“I saw that, in the back straight,🍷 he was braking really hard, but if I can exit well from the corner before, I can take the slipstream I can arrive [alongside].

“ꦯSo I just did it, I try, and it worked. I’m really happy because, then, I had💯 some space to keep pushing.

“Second position is nice, because on Thursday I didn’t🌱 know if I can ride the bike, and now we finish with two podiums.”

Both Bautista and Bulega remain mathematically in title contention, but it’s Bulega who haꦏs the upper hand in terms of points: 352 points compared to Bautista’꧒s 283, and only now 13 points behind championship leader Toprak Razgatlioglu.

Despite the gulf between them, Bautista insists there are 🐼no team orders coming from Ducati.

“We don’t have team orders,” Bautista said. “The team only asks for respect inside the tra🌄ck, so don’t make dirt💝y things, just just to be as clean as possible, and who is faster wins.

“I mean, it is not any ordꦦers, ꦍso just respect. Normally, I try to respect all the riders, and for sure your teammate you have to be like three per cent more respect.

“I 🌠did a clean overtaking [on Bulega], so everything was under cont🔯rol.”