TJ Alberto has begun 2023 where he left off in 2022… by dominating proceedings in the opening round of the Philippine Superbike Championship aboard his Access Plus Ducati V4 Panigale. Shattering the circuit record, the defending champion stormed to Pole Position with a margin of over a second, before leading both races at the Batangas circuit from start to finish to ensure maximum points – the perfect start to his title defence. With a new livery and TJ in the best physical shape, things are looking good for a potential third consecutive Philippine title. But the season is long and both TJ and the team know the challenge that lies ahead. Nevertheless, they are delighted with the way round one unfolded and look forward to round two in three weeks. TJ Alberto: “It was good start to the year starting in Pole Position. I feel that as a team we have made a big step over our previous best, and it showed with our new lap record in qualifying at Batangas. We had an advantage of 1.3 seconds and could see that we were in for a good start to the season. Morning warm up was unexpectedly raining but come Race 1 it was dry, and we took the lead at turn one and never looked back. We won by almost seventeen seconds. In Race 2 we had another good start but there was a red flag. The race was restarted, and I was able to make another good start and once again led from start to finish. We have taken fifty points from the first two races, and I cannot thank the team enough for their hard work with our new bike. I am excited for the year ahead and for the next round in three weeks.” |
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