After another dominating victory by Álvaro Bautista in the morning’s Superpole Race, both riders of the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team were forced to retire after crashes during Race 2 of the Spanish Round at the Jerez circuit.
After crossing the line in the lead at the end of the opening lap, the 34-year-old Spanish rider immediately crashed out on his entry into Turn 1. Bautista returned to the pits and then joined again after seven laps, but because of the red flag on lap 19 he didn’t complete the minimum distance, and for the first time this season he finished a race without scoring any points.
Team-mate Chaz Davies also suffered a similar fate today. The 32-year-old Welsh rider, who started from twelfth on the grid, was making a good recovery when a contact at Turn 5 on the sixth lap with Melandri (Yamaha) eliminated both of them from the battle for fourth.
After the Jerez results, Bautista is still leading the table with 300 points, 41 more than Rea, while Davies drops two positions to eighth with 94 points. The next race in the Superbike World Championship – the Riviera di Rimini Round – will take place in two weeks’ time at the Misano World Circuit, from 21st to 23rd June.
Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing Ducati #19) – 1st / DNF
“Today was a day of two halves, in the sense that first we won the Superpole Race and then I crashed on lap 2 of the second race. It was a pity because I did nothing strange, I just lost the front, but racing is like that sometimes. The Jerez weekend was amazing, not only because of my two wins but also for the atmosphere here in the paddock, and for all the fans who came to the circuit to witness the show. Now we have only to continue the great work we did this weekend and try and repeat the same sensations in the next round at Misano.”
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing Ducati #7) – 10th / DNF
“I was quite aware that this was going to be a difficult weekend but I was hoping that with a good mind-set I could have got some decent results. On this type of circuit, with many longish corners, I was really far away with the set-up. I had a vibration issue with the bike in the Superpole Race, but then the guys did a great job to give me a good bike for the last race, where at least I could ride it OK. But then I got caught up in the incident with Melandri at Turn 5. I’m OK, I just picked up a big bruise on the hip and the side of the leg.”
