The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team took its sixth win of the season in Magny-Cours (France), home of the third-to-last round of the WorldSBK championship, thanks to Chaz Davies’ triumph in Race 1. Davide Giugliano was declared unfit to race after a crash during Superpole 1, which aggravated his right-shoulder injury.
With a wet track at the start of the race, Chaz Davies (who finished Superpole in third position) opted for intermediate tyres. The Welshman’s choice was nonconformist, as most riders chose wet compounds, but eventually proved to be the most ideal. Davies had to play defense early on as the track was slippery, and was momentarily pushed out of the top ten, but soon mounted an incredible comeback that – as his opponents were forced to pit-in – saw him win with a ten-second advantage. It was Davies’ sixth victory of the year, a personal record.
Davide Giugliano showed his grit to head out on track for FP3 and Superpole 1 despite the pain in his right shoulder. After crashing out during his first qualifying lap, the Italian resumed action to post the 13th best time but, since the conditions of his shoulder worsened, was eventually declared unfit to race. He will thus return to Italy to undergo further treatment before the next round.
Track action will resume at 09:25 (CET) Sunday for a 15-minute warm-up session ahead of Race 2, which is scheduled to start at 13:00.
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #7) 1st
“I tried to make an educated guess on tyres, as in the past we haven’t always opted for the best strategy in these conditions. Still, it was somewhat of a gamble and I knew that early on it was just a matter of survival but the reward could be great. At first, I just tried to stay on the bike as in some points it felt like riding on ice, but when I saw the gap from the front after the first few laps I realized we could pull it off. It was fun to come back through the field. Tomorrow the weather is supposed to be dry and we have a good chance, but we still have room for improvement.”
Davide Giugliano (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #34)
“I tried everything I could to race. Yesterday we stopped early to give my shoulder a chance to rest, and this morning in the wet I felt comfortable right away. Unfortunately the crash during Superpole, even if at a really low speed, made the situation worse. It’s impossible to do a 21-lap race with much pain and little strength. Now I will rest and undergo physiotherapy to improve the conditions of the tendons so that I can go to Jerez in a better shape. Time is on our side.”
Stefano Cecconi, Aruba S.p.A CEO and Team Principal
“Of all the wins we collected in 2016, this is probably the most thrilling one because of the way it was achieved, with a great mix of performance and strategy. Hats off to Chaz, who already took more victories than last year with five races to go. I’m sorry for Davide, who showed his courage once again, but we agree with the decision to take a temporary break from action and are keen to see him again in Jerez!”
