[4] Bautista then rode a Ducati with the Aspar (then Ángel Nieto) MotoGP team in 2017 and 2018,[5] before moving to the Superbike World Championship for 2019.

[6][7] Born in Talavera de la Reina, Castile-La Mancha, Bautista rode a motorcycle for the first time at three years of age.

His father owned a motorcycle repair shop and built his first bike from scratch; Bautista competed in his first race five years later.

But he was spotted by Manuel Morente who signed him up for the remaining races of the season and offered him a new team with iconic Atlético Madrid sponsoring for the following year.

In 2002, finally having official material at his disposal, Bautista fought with Hector Barbera for the 125cc Spanish Championship until the last race of the season at Valencia.

The same year Bautista made his international debut in the 2002 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season with the same team, running as a wildcard entry at Jerez, Catalunya and Valencia.

The same year he was also crowned the 125cc Spanish Champion with two races to go and after an extremely dominant season, never being off the podium and scoring five consecutive pole-to-victory finishes.

However, a manufacturer switch from Aprilia to Honda, a different team structure, crashes and mechanical failures saw him struggle throughout a disappointing season which he finished in 15th place.

After difficulties to get out of his contract with Seedorf Racing, Bautista joined the ranks of Jorge Martinez’ MVA Aspar Team only shortly before the start of the 2006 season.

The effort paid off handsomely as Bautista went on to take his first 125cc victory at the inaugural 2006 Grand Prix in Jerez, leading the race from start to finish.

[10] Along the way he took eight wins and broke numerous records, including the highest number of points in the class and most podium finishes in a single season.

A second 250cc victory came in Estoril on 16 September in the Portuguese Grand Prix, where – having started from sixth on the grid - he dropped to 12th during the first lap to carve his way through the field and eventually take an easy win.

[15] He added two more wins at San Marino and Malaysia and his string of ten podium finishes after the abysmal start to the year eventually saw him end the season in second place behind Simoncelli.

Wins in Japan and Catalunya along a more steady start than the previous year moved him to the top of the championship, but an ultimately very costly collision with Hiroshi Aoyama in the final laps of the Assen Grand Prix handed the lead to the Japanese rider.

[16] During practice for the 2011 MotoGP season opener in Qatar, Bautista suffered a broken left femur as a result of a crash at turn 15.

[18] Bautista could not maintain the lead at the start of the race, after Spies led into the first corner; he recovered to finish in fourth place – behind Jorge Lorenzo, Stoner and Dani Pedrosa – which was his then best result in the MotoGP class.

Bautista had a good season, battling consistently amongst the second group of riders, along with Valentino Rossi, Cal Crutchlow and Stefan Bradl.

He finished sixth overall in the championship behind Crutchlow and in front of Bradl, with a best result of fourth obtained on three occasions, at Laguna Seca,[23] Aragon[24] and Motegi.

[29] After winning consecutive WSBK world titles, Bautista had a wildcard entry in November's Malaysian GP with the Aruba.it Racing team.

With bike development continuing only in small steps - too slow for a rider at his age - Bautista decided not to renew his contract with HRC for 2022.