BURIRAM, Thailand – Álvaro Bautista continued his dominant start to the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season with another victory Sunday at the Chang Int’l Circuit.
With his victory Sunday, Bautista became the first rider since Neil Hodgson in 2003 to win the first six races of the World Superbike season.
Bautista was untouchable Sunday, grabbing the lead at the start aboard his ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati entry and never looking back. Behind him, reigning Superbike champion Jonathan Rea found himself holding off Alex Lowes for second.
In the end Bautista rode to a dominant victory, beating Rea to the finish line by more than 10 seconds to extend his lead in the championship. Lowes chased the top duo home in third.
Michael van der Mark fended off a late charge from Leon Haslam to finish fourth, with Haslam settling for fifth. Marco Melandri, Sandro Cortese, Michael Ruben Rinaldi, Toprak Razgatliolgu and Jordi Torres completed the top-10 riders at the checkered flag.