After a superb victory in Race 1 with Chaz Davies, the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team faced a difficult Sunday at EuroSpeedway Lausitz (Germany). A sudden change in weather conditions, from dry to wet, mixed things up. In an unpredictable Race 2, Chaz Davies finished in sixth place while Davide Giugliano was forced to retire due to a crash.
With the start delayed twice due to track conditions, Race 2 was reduced to 16 laps. Giugliano was quick out of the blocks, climbing back to second position despite starting from third row. After posting the provisional best lap, however, the Italian crashed out at turn 9 during lap 4. Upon medical examination, Giugliano was diagnosed with a suspected fracture in the right shoulder blade, which will be further examined upon his return to Italy on Monday.
Davies seemed to have a strong chance to seal another win after posting the fastest lap in the dry during warm-up, but was penalized by the adverse weather. The Welshman fought tenaciously in the second group, controlling the everchanging track conditions and progressively improving his pace to cross the finish line in sixth place, a result that solidifies his position in the championship.
After ten rounds, Davies and Giugliano are in third (295 points) and sixth (195 points) position respectively in the general standings. The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team will resume action on September 30 in Magny Cours (France) for the eleventh round of the season.
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #7) 6th
“Track conditions were tricky today. It took me a while to get up to speed, but the priority was to stay upright and I was happy to finish the race since I didn’t have the best feeling on the front. It’s a shame the weather turned its back on us, but it was the same for everyone. The positive thing is that we’ve kept a good form ever since the summer tests. Had the weather stayed dry, we would have had another chance to win. We’ll try again in Magny Cours in two weeks’ time with the second place in the championship in our mind.”
Davide Giugliano (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #34) DNF
“I didn’t expect the crash, because I quickly realized Rea and I could make a difference in the wet and I wasn’t on the limit. The plan was to wait until the last few laps to attack. I was cautious with the throttle, but wet races are always a lottery and all of a sudden the rear lost grip. It’s a shame because I really wanted to give the team another good result after Chaz’s win. The good thing is that we’ve made a big step forward in dry conditions as well today, showing a promising pace during warm-up. We’ll bounce back in Magny Cours, a track that I like much better.”
Ernesto Marinelli, Superbike Project Director
“Unfortunately, the weather had a negative impact on us today. Our potential in dry conditions was clear. We could have gone for a double win, but the rain mixed things up. It’s a pity that Davide crashed out, as he’s always very competitive in wet conditions. Chaz correctly adopted a conservative approach, collecting important points. We leave Lausitz with confidence nonetheless, as we’ve made steps forward during the summer break.”
