The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team stepped back on the podium in Race 2 of the 2017 WorldSBK Championship at Donington (U.K.) with Chaz Davies. The Welshman mounted a memorable comeback from 17th position after being forced to go off the track in the early laps to avoid a rider who crashed in front of him, taking third place in front of his home fans.
Melandri faced an even more adverse fate; starting from pole position after finishing Race 1 in fourth place, the Italian was forced to retire during lap 10 while he was in fourth position and well within podium contention due to a transmission issue.
The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team will resume action at Misano (Italy) for the seventh round of the 2017 WorldSBK Championship, scheduled for June 16-18. To better prepare for the second home round of the season, the squad will have a two-day test on the Italian track next Wednesday and Thursday.
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #7) – 3rd
“It would have been nice to get away with the Kawasaki pair, but third place is all we could ask for today. We had a terrible start, which made it for a very difficult race. We had to get through a lot of traffic, I was trying to avoid riders crashing in front of me, and it felt like playing a game of Mario Kart. To be here, on the podium, in front of the home fans, was the most important thing. Towards the end, when I was getting closer to VD Mark, I didn’t have great grip because I had to stress the rear a lot to come back through the field. I just dug in, trying not to make mistakes and figure out where to pass really quickly. It was close racing. Anyway I’m confident for the rest of the season because this track has always been difficult for us and we can take a lot of positives going into Misano.”
Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #33) – DNF
“It’s been a difficult weekend for us. Since Imola, we’ve been struggling with some unusual issues. The bike is moving a lot under acceleration, the rear is lifting off the ground while changing gears, and we’re forced to cut some power. Today, unfortunately, these vibrations caused the front sprocket to fall off. It’s a real pity, because today the bike was more balanced and I had a better feeling with the front. Anyway, despite all these issues we’re always fighting for podiums. The team is working hard to improve the package, and we’ll keep doing it during next week’s test. We’re very determined to find a solution as soon as possible in order to fight for wins again.”
Stefano Cecconi, Aruba S.p.A CEO and Team Principal:
“Surely this round’s results do not mirror our potential. Chaz rode a great race and managed to finish on the podium despite some unlucky episodes that temporarily pushed him back. Marco was forced to retire due to a technical problem, but once again was ready to fight for the podium. We leave Donington with a bitter taste in our mouths, and we want to wash it away in Misano in front of our home fans.”
