For its fifth round of the season, the WorldSBK championship will resume action in Imola (Italy). The historic Enzo and Dino Ferrari track is “home” to the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team, as its location is only 50 kilometers away from the Borgo Panigale headquarters. Moreover, Ducati has left its mark on the circuit with 13 wins in WorldSBK so far.
Despite experiencing some difficulties in Assen, mainly due to the extremely variable weather conditions, the team confirmed a positive trend in terms of development, claiming another podium with the Panigale R (on the rostrum in each round in 2016 so far) thanks to a second-place finish by Chaz Davies in Race 1. The Welshman, who barely missed the victory in Imola in 2014 (his rookie year with Ducati) when he was twice second, currently sits in second position in the general standings and is eager to take advantage of the track to cut the gap (45 points) from championship leader Jonathan Rea. Davide Giugliano, who last year in Imola made his comeback to racing after a pre-seasion injury to secure a surprising Superpole and a podium in Race 1, is also keen on getting back on track after hitting a couple of stumbling blocks in the previous rounds. Both riders await the numerous fans who will populate the Ducati Grandstand!
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #7)
“We didn’t leave Assen with as many points as we could have collected also due to the variable weather conditions, but the good thing is that we confirmed the potential of the Panigale R and gained valuable experience. We’re ready to have another go at it in Imola, a peculiar track that I enjoy. I was twice second in 2014, while last year things didn’t go to plan due to a couple of technical issues, but we were quite competitive until that point. The bike has improved significantly since then, so I hope to have a strong performance in front of all the Ducati fans to reward their passion and get closer to the front in the championship.”
Davide Giugliano (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #34)
“I’m extremely motivated for our ‘home race’. In the past couple of races, the results we scored did not mirror our potential. We don’t have any particular issues to solve, we’re just working hard with the whole team to help me find the best sensations on the Panigale R, and the results will ensue accordingly. Assen should have marked a positive turn, but the weather was too erratic and we couldn’t finalize the work on the setup. Imola is track that always suited me well, and an ideal place to help us hit our stride. Our fans will also give us an extra push. Last year, in Imola, I came back after being sidelined for three months and was expecting to finish within the top eight, but I managed to claim Superpole and a third place also thanks to their support and that of ducatisti in particular.”
Circuit Information:
Country: Italy
Name: Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola
Length: 4.936 km
Pole position: left
Race distance: 19 laps/93.784 km
RECORDS:
Lap record – Sykes (Kawasaki) 1:46.707 (2015)
Best lap – Sykes (Kawasaki) 1:45.981 (2013)
2015 RESULTS:
Race 1: Rea (Kawasaki), Sykes (Kawasaki), Giugliano (Ducati)
Race 2: Rea (Kawasaki), Sykes (Kawasaki), Torres (Aprilia)
Rider information:
Chaz Davies
Bike: Ducati Panigale R
Race number: 7
Age: 29 (Born 10/02/1987 in Knighton, Wales)
Number of SBK races: 109
Number of wins: 11
Number of podiums: 37
Davide Giugliano
Bike: Ducati Panigale R
Race number: 34
Age: 26 (Born 28/10/1989 in Rome, Italy)
Number of SBK races: 98
Number of wins: –
Number of podiums: 10
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
