
Bautista has made a storming return to Ducati this season as a replacement for Redding after two underwhelming years at Honda, winning half of the 12 races held so far on the upgraded Panigale V4 R.
This has given him a substantial 36-point advantage over six-time champion and 2019 title rival Rea ahead of Saturday’s opening race at Donington Park, with Razgatlioglu a further 43 points behind in third position after just one Superpole race win so far in 2022.