The Rd.13 Qatar that was finale race of 2016 World Super Bike Championship (SBK) was held at the Losail International Circuit.
Aruba.it Racing – After winning Race 1 in a dominant fashion, Chaz Davies did the double under the floodlights in Qatar, home of the last round of the 2016 WorldSBK championship. The Welshman’s sixth consecutive race win and eleventh overall crowned him as the most successful rider of the year. To further highlight his form, Davies also finished the season with the highest number of fastest laps (10).
Davide Giugliano was declared unfit for the race due to the worsening conditions of his injured right shoulder, which was further damaged by a contact during Race 1.
Davis got 445 points by furious catch-up in the second half of the season, and annual Riders Ranking was 3rd. Giuliano was 7th in 197 points. In the manufacturer sector, DUCATI was ranked 2nd in 517 point.
Race 1
Starting from third place on the grid, Davies got the ‘holeshot’ and took the lead into turn 1. Progressively breaking away after lap 11, Davies defended his position until the checkered flag, claiming also the fastest lap of the race with a 1:57.371.
Davide Giugliano suffered an opposite fate. Starting in 11th position after going through Superpole 1, the Italian rider was penalized by a contact during lap 1 that re-aggravated his right-shoulder injury, momentarily forcing him to go off track. After rejoining the race in 22nd place, Giugliano climbed his way back into the points, posting interesting lap times, but was eventually forced to retire due to pain and loss of strength.
Comment for Race 1
•Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – DUCATI Superbike Team # 7) – 1st
After a strong practice and qualifying, I was confident about our chances to have a good result here.
Today everything worked perfectly and, compared with 2015, the bike improved a lot, especially on the straight. To seize victory number 10 is incredible.
It’s a new record by a long shot, we doubled what we achieved last year, and I’m very happy and thankful to the whole team.
In the race I tried to keep my head down, manage the gap and the tyres, and when the grip decreased I just tried to drop the hammer to break away from Rea.
It won’t be easy to recover 7 more points from Sykes, but I think Jonathan and I have shown the superior pace so far.
We’ll go at it again tomorrow and we’ll see where that takes us. I think I have to win again, but it’s going to be tight anyway.
•David Giuliano (Aruba.it Racing – DUCATI Superbike Team # 34) – Retired
Unfortunately I collided with another rider at the start, taking a big blow to my injured right shoulder.
After a few corners, due to the pain, I momentarily lost control of the bike and had a big wobble, going off track. Once I rejoined the race, I climbed back as far as I could, but at one point I lost almost all my strength in the right arm and had to stop.
It’s a shame because, despite not having been able to do many laps, we were more competitive today. Seeing the lap times, we could have achieved a good result. Now we’ll try to get back into shape to have a solid performance tomorrow.
•Ernest Marinerri (DUCATI SBK Project Manager)
Hats off to Chaz, who took another extraordinary win on a track that theoretically wasn’t among the best for us due to the long straight.
It shows that, aside from the rider’s top form, the work done by the whole team and in Borgo Panigale is going in the right direction.
We’re sorry for Davide, who made a good step forward before the race but unfortunately took another bad blow to the shoulder he had already injured in Germany.
We hope his conditions will improve for tomorrow, because we have the potential to do well with both our riders.
Race 2
Second at the start, Davies took the lead in lap 1 to progressively pull away from his rivals, led by Sykes.
During lap 8, the race was red-flagged due to oil on track, resetting the gap. At the restart, Davies imposed his pace once again and neutralized Rea’s comeback before the 2016 champion ceded second position in both the race and the championship to his teammate Sykes.
Davide Giugliano finished in 14th position and was declared unfit for the race due to the worsening conditions of his injured right shoulder, which was further damaged by a contact during Race 1.
Comment for Race 2
•Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – DUCATI Superbike Team # 7) – 1st
To do the double here, a circuit where we struggled last year, is a sign of much we turned things around.
In the first half of the race I was just managing the gap, but after the restart it was a fast, short race.
It was difficult to see the pit-board and I wasn’t looking at the big screens, so I didn’t really know how to manage the race, but then I saw Rea was coming back so I pushed a bit more in the last laps and did all I could to bring home the win.
It’s bittersweet, because it wasn’t enough to secure second place in the championship, but I saw that coming.
We’ve been the fastest out there since the summer break, and we’ll try to keep improving everyday.
Take it into next year and be as consistent as possible to get the big trophy in the end. Thanks everyone for all the support!
•David Giuliano (Aruba.it Racing – DUCATI Superbike Team # 34)
As my shoulder was still healing, I knew that any kind of blow could intensify the pain, but I still wanted to try to finish the season on a high note. Unfortunately, the contact in Race 1 strained the tendons and aggravated the situation. There couldn’t have been a sadder way to say goodbye to the team and DUCATI, but I carry many beautiful memories within me.
I think that both me as a rider and the bike grew a lot together in all these years. I learned many lessons, and it’s been an intense journey because I believe that having me as a rider elicits a lot of emotions, for better and for worse.
I want to give my special thanks to my crew, as they always worked until late night to give me the best tools to race. Also thanks to the whole team and DUCATI, which have always made me feel appreciated and worked so hard. I wish them all the best!
•Stefano Chekkoni (Aruba S.p.A CEO and Team Principal)
It’s a bit disappointing to finish the year like this, as Chaz took third place in the championship despite being the most successful rider out there, but we certainly can’t complain.
This season rewarded us in many ways, and we’re certainly ready to fight for the big prize next year. We’re sorry for Davide, who paid a dear price for the injury he sustained in Germany and couldn’t finish with a result worthy of potential. We wish him all the best.
Original Source [ DUCATI USA ]