Aruba.it Ducati’s Alvaro Bautista heads to Portimao fully motivated after his first WorldSBK hat-trick in three years.

The ninth round of the 2022 season is the final stop in Europe before the trio of flyaways that conclude the year, with Autódromo Internacional do Algarve promising a rollercoaster weekend.

Bautista holds a 59-point advantage as he arrives in Portugal with the Spaniard hoping to build an even-bigger cushion over title rivals Toprak Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea.

“After the Barcelona hat-trick, I am obviously very motivated,” Bautista said ahead of the final European action. “We'll go to Portugal with a great charge and that has an impact not only on me but on the whole team.

“In any case, our approach will be the same, as if nothing had happened. We have to work with high concentration right from FP1 to see what our chances will be at the weekend.

“The Portimao circuit is quite tricky as it is not easy to find a perfect set-up around the track. In the same way, though, it is a circuit where I have always had fun.”