Back from two consecutive double wins scored by Chaz Davies in Magny-Cours (France) and Jerez (Spain), the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team is ready to resume action in Qatar for the closing round of the 2016 WorldSBK championship. Located on the outskirts of Doha, the Losail track will once again host the races at night, a unique feature in the calendar.
Chaz Davies, who has won 5 of the last 6 races, will try to further stretch the positive streak that saw him become the undisputed protagonist since the summer break. The Welshman has his target set on second position in the championship, from which he is 19 points away. Davide Giugliano, after two difficult rounds due to a right-shoulder injury, heads to Qatar with renewed optimism and is eager to step back on the podium to seal his three-year tenure with the team in the best possible way.
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #7) 3rd (395 points)
“It’s the last race of the year, but in some ways I wish the season had just started, given that we obtained such good results lately. We were a bit late to the party, but we need to look forward. Last year, in Qatar, we managed to be quite competitive and took a second place, which was OK. We got more some horsepower now, which should help us in the long straight. Racing at night is always something different and fun. We need to bridge a 19-point gap from second place in the championship, and I believe there will be more riders in the mix. History shows anything can happen in racing, so why not? We can only do what we’ve been doing in the last few races, and then do the math.”
Davide Giugliano (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #34) 6th (197 points)
“I head to Qatar in better physical conditions compared with Jerez. We made progress with the physiotherapy program, and earlier this week I was able to be fast and consistent while training on a motard, even though some pain still remains. The Losail track has a very flowing nature, which theoretically should make it easier for us than in the past couple of rounds, and I definitely enjoy riding there. Last year I didn’t race due to injury, but during my first outing in Qatar in 2014 I got pole position. In the races we struggled a bit with top speed, but the Panigale R is much more competitive now. My first goal is to part ways with the team with two strong performances, even though we already share many beautiful memories, especially with all the hard work done together to develop the bike throughout these years.”
Circuit Information:
Country: Qatar
Name: Losail International Circuit
Length: 5.380 km
Pole position: right
Race distance: 17 laps/91.460 km
RECORDS:
Circuit record – Sykes (Kawasaki) 1’56.821 (2015)
Best lap – Sykes (Kawasaki) 1’57.317 (2015)
Rider information:
Chaz Davies
Bike: Ducati Panigale R
Race number: 7
Age: 29 (Born 10/02/1987 in Knighton, Wales)
Number of SBK races: 125
Number of wins: 18
Number of podiums: 47
Davide Giugliano
Bike: Ducati Panigale R
Race number: 34
Age: 26 (Born 28/10/1989 in Rome, Italy)
Number of SBK races: 112
Number of wins: –
Number of podiums: 14
Weekend Schedule (CET +2):
Friday
17:45 – 18:45 SBK Free Practice 1
21:00 – 22:00 SBK Free Practice 2
Saturday
15:30 – 15:45 SBK Free Practice 3
17:30 – 17:45 SBK Superpole 1
17:55 – 18:10 SBK Superpole 2
20:00 SBK Race 1
Sunday
17:30 – 17:45 SBK Warm-up
21:00 SBK Race 2
