After a short break, the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team resumed action in Assen (Netherlands) for the fourth round of the World Superbike Championship. In different weather conditions compared with the previous round in Spain, with temperatures slightly above 10 degrees and a nonstop rain, Davide Giugliano and Chaz Davies concluded the first day of practice in 7th and 10th position respectively, separated by less than a tenth of a second (Alex Lowes posted the provisional best lap with a 1:52.701).
The 2016-spec factory Panigale R thus debuted in the wet, and both Giugliano and Davies significantly improved their lap times throughout the day (taking four and three seconds off respectively since FP1, during which the Welshman crashed out without consequences) but, as the rain unexpectedly intensified during the final minutes, they were not able to take advantage of the improving track conditions. Despite not having a chance to perform the usual “time attack”, both Giugliano and Davies gained direct access to Superpole 2, scheduled for 10:55 (CET) tomorrow.
Davide Giugliano (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #34) – 1:54.267 (7th)
“Today the conditions were far from perfect, but we still managed to make a good progression, improving our lap times at each exit on track. I progressively gained confidence with the front and, if we had been able to make another attempt before the downpour at the end of FP2, we would probably have gained another half second, but what matters the most is going straight into Superpole 2. We still have work to do, however, to improve rear grip, especially under acceleration. The forecast for tomorrow is still uncertain, unfortunately. I know I can be fast in the wet, but honestly I would prefer a dry track, or at least stable conditions.”
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #7) – 1:54.348 (10th)
“Since it was our first time out in the wet this year, we still have to make a few adjustments in terms of chassis to find more grip, especially at the maximum lean angle. The crash during FP1 had nothing to do with this, however, since I was barely leaning at that moment. I didn’t expect it, but luckily it didn’t have any physical repercussions. The weather conditions can change quickly here in Assen, but I’m not worried because in the last races we found a versatile setup in the dry, which usually allowed us to be quick out of the blocks without making radical changes. Also, as long as I was out on the track with all our competitors, I wasn’t far from the top.”
Weekend schedule (CET):
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
