Magny-Cours (France), Sunday 4 October 2015 – The penultimate round of the 2015 World Superbike Championship concluded today at the French circuit of Magny-Cours with mixed results for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team. Chaz Davies continued the positive trend of recent rounds, riding his Panigale R into second position in race 2, after closing a complicated (wet) race 1 in sixth place. Luca Scassa crossed the line in thirteenth and ninth position.

Race 1 – The first race was delayed by 15 minutes due to oil spilt on what was already a wet track after overnight rain. The race was declared ‘wet’ and shortened to 19 laps.
From fourth position on the grid, Davies moved straight into second place behind Rea but during the subsequent laps he had to battle with various rivals, Sykes, Haslam and Guintoli included. Struggling with rear grip issues that conditioned his race, the Welshman lost some ground during the 19 laps and concluded race 1 in final sixth position.
From sixth position, Scassa was lying tenth through the opening laps, fighting briefly with Baiocco and Lowes and finding himself in twelfth place at the mid-race point. Separated from the riders immediately ahead of him and also suffering due to a lack of grip, Luca crossed the line in thirteenth place.

Race 2 – Dry conditions for the second race, comprising 21 laps. Getting off the line well, Davies was straight up into second, fighting with the two Kawasakis and Haslam through the opening laps. After lap three the Aruba Ducati man took the lead, a position he was able to hold until the mid-race point. Lying second through the final stages, Chaz managed the situation well, maintaining a strong pace to ensure that he crossed the line in second place, scoring a further 20 championship points. This is Davies’ first podium result at the Magny-Cours circuit.
Scassa, despite not having made the quickest start, was quickly able to get into a good rhythm that allowed him to pass Badovini in the opening stages to position eighth. Despite his solid pace, which he was able to maintain for the duration of the race, Luca was unable to close the gap between himself and the riders positioned immediately ahead of him, thus crossing the line in final ninth place.

This means that after this penultimate round of the 2015 championship, Davies consolidates second position in the overall standings, with 383 points, while Scassa positions 26th having scored 10 points today. Ducati continues to hold second in the manufacturer’s standings with 438 points.

Quotes after the races:

Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team #7) – 6th, 2nd
“In race 2 I had decent pace but, also considering the general standings, I chose not to take too many risks trying to catch Rea. When I saw Sykes start to drop back a little, I decided to focus on scoring second position. In race 1 on the other hand we got the set-up wrong, not managing to change back to a wet set-up from a dry one in time. It was like riding on ice and I did all I could to bring it home in sixth. Anyway I’m pleased with the weekend, both for the fact that this is my first podium at Magny-Cours and also because we head to Qatar with an advantage of 16 points over Tom. He’s always been strong here in France and I actually thought I might lose more points here today; so it’s gone well and now we can focus on the final round.”

Luca Scassa (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team #99) – 13th, 9th
“In race 1 I was suffering severe tyre issues already after a few laps and I couldn’t push at all on the straights. I was unsure as to whether to come back to the garage and change the tyre but in the end I decided to stay out and was able to cross the line inside the points zone… In race 2 I didn’t make the best start but I was able to keep a good pace. I couldn’t keep Torres behind me in the end, but I’m pleased with ninth and also with my speed, especially considering that I was suffering from pain in my knee in the final stages… Anyway, I go home happy because I was able to make continuous improvement throughout the weekend and that was my main goal. Thanks to the entire team who did a really good job this weekend.”

Ernesto Marinelli – Ducati SBK Project Director –
“It’s been quite a positive weekend all in all. Conditions in race 1 were particularly critical, because it takes a long time for this track to dry out after rain. Chaz did well to manage the lack of grip in that first race and then in race 2, on a dry track, he was able to complete a great race, riding the Panigale to the podium once again. Luca also did a good job, as to finish inside the top ten in Superbike is no easy task. In both yesterday’s qualifying and today’s race he showed real tenacity.”

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