Erratic weather conditions shuffled things up during WorldSBK’s Race 2 in Assen, which was declared wet and began on an extremely slippery tarmac, but unfolded almost entirely under the sun. All riders were thus forced to pit-in and change tyres. Davies, despite having a strong pace in the dry, had to settle for 5th place. Giugliano, who showed a better performance in the wet, finished in 8th position.
The race started in wet conditions but the sun quickly dried up the track, favoring many passes within the lead group, which included Davies and Giugliano. The Italian was among the first to come back into the pits to switch to slick tyres, during lap 10. Three laps later, it was Davies’ turn.
After the pit-stop, Giugliano initially struggled with front-tyre feeling but progressively gained momentum, while Davies found the right pace more easily but was simply too far from the leading pair formed by Rea and Sykes, who made the most of an early pit-stop. Davies thus finished the race in 5th position, Giugliano in 8th. The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team will be back on track in two weeks’ time in Imola.
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #7) – 5th
“Unfortunately, we didn’t choose the best strategy. I thought the Kawasakis pitted in a bit too early, as the track was still slippery, but we waited too long. I’m disappointed, because another good result was within our reach. The positive thing is that, since the WUP, we were really competitive and made another step forward in the dry compared with yesterday. I’m looking forward to Imola, it’s our home race and I hope to make it a memorable one for all the ducatisti.”
Davide Giugliano (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #34) – 8th
“It was a hectic race, during which it was easy to make mistakes. In the wet I eventually found a good pace, but the track dried up very quickly. We pitted in at the right moment, but unfortunately it took us four laps to regain confidence with the front. Still, I’m happy with the way the whole team reacted after all the difficulties we’ve encountered yesterday. In the WUP, we made a big step forward in terms of pace, an important signal ahead of Imola. Finally we’ll race ‘at home’ again!”
Ernesto Marinelli – Superbike Project Director
“The weather conditions made it a bit difficult for us today. It’s a pity, because this morning both riders had a great feeling with the bike in the dry. The rain fallen just before the race mixed things up. As for Davies, the pit-stop was done too late in retrospect, while the timing was right in Davide’s case, but he had some difficulties on slick tyres early on. Now Imola awaits, it’s our home round and we will do everything we can to reward the passion of all the ducatisti who support us.”
