As the summer break comes to an end, the WorldSBK championship is ready to resume action at EuroSpeedway Lausitz (Germany), home of the tenth round of the season. The German track is the only novelty in the 2016 calendar and will host the production-based series for the first time since 2007, when Troy Bayliss took a win for Ducati in Race Two.
Both Chaz Davies and Davide Giugliano had a chance to get acquainted with the 4.255 kilometer track at the end of July with a two-day test, concluded with positive feedback. The Welshman and the Italian, who are currently third and fourth in the championship respectively, are keen to restart on the same positive course that saw both of them step on the podium and fight for the victory until the checkered flag in Race Two at Laguna Seca. Action will resume at 10:15 (CET) on Friday for the first free-practice session.
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #7) 3rd (260 points)
“We had a long summer break, but I’ve always stayed active and I feel more than ready to get back to racing. Physically I feel good, and I think we’ve made a clear step forward in the last couple of tests in Lausitz and Misano. In both, I got the feeling I was looking for and left the track happy, but racing is always different. The Lausitz track is quite challenging and bumpy, so it will be crucial to work well on the setup. It’s a new track for everyone, so it’s impossible to make predictions, but I’m confident and motivated.”
Davide Giugliano (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #34) 4th (185 points)
“We’ve been inactive for almost too long and, despite having trained on a bike almost everyday between motocross and motard, I can’t wait to get back on my Panigale R. We head to Germany with high goals, and first of all we want to further stretch the positive streak that saw us claim a podium throughout the last four rounds. The Lausitz track is very bumpy and it is not among my favorites in terms of layout, but we’re ready to give our best after collecting some important data during the tests. Misano has some characteristics in common with Lausitz and, during our last test there in August, we found a good balance and left with positive feedback.”
Circuit Information:
Country: Germany
Name: EuroSpeedway Lausitz
Length: 4.255 km
Pole position: right
Race distance: 21 laps/89.565 km
RECORDS:
Circuit record – Haga (Yamaha) 1’38.622 (2007)
Best lap – Bayliss (Ducati) 1’37.623 (2006)
Rider information:
Chaz Davies
Bike: Ducati Panigale R
Race number: 7
Age: 29 (Born 10/02/1987 in Knighton, Wales)
Number of SBK races: 119
Number of wins: 13
Number of podiums: 42
Davide Giugliano
Bike: Ducati Panigale R
Race number: 34
Age: 26 (Born 28/10/1989 in Rome, Italy)
Number of SBK races: 108
Number of wins: –
Number of podiums: 14
Weekend Schedule (CET):
Friday
10:15 – 11:15 SBK Free Practice 1
13:30 – 14:30 SBK Free Practice 2
Saturday
08:45 – 09:00 SBK Free Practice 3
10:30 – 10.45 SBK Superpole 1
10:55 – 11:10 SBK Superpole 2
13:00 SBK Race 1
Sunday
09:25 – 09:40 SBK Warm-up
13:00 SBK Race 2
