Ducati Focus on the Front in Misano Test
Monday track time gives Aruba.it riders more time to explore options – and tyres
After the eighth round of the WorldSBK championship, the Aruba.it Racing - Ducati team stayed in Misano for a one-day, collective test. The track time proved to be useful to try the new front and rear tyre compounds brought by Pirelli, as well as different settings from those utilized during the race weekend to fine-tune the setup of the factory Panigale R.
Track action was slightly delayed waiting for the overnight rain to disappear, before Davies and Giugliano did 44 and 51 laps respectively. Davies suffered a small crash nearing the end of the day, with no consequence.
“Today we tried a different configuration compared with the race,” explained Davies, who staged an incredible fight back to the front in Race 1, before a fall in Race 2. “We focused mostly on the front, where we still have some options to explore, and on the engine, where there’s still room for improvement. The new solutions brought by Pirelli gave a good feedback and, most important, my right wrist didn’t bother me too much and I managed to ride without too many difficulties. We’re confident we can head overseas in full shape and bounce back in Laguna Seca.”
Teammate Giugliano, who crashed in Race 1 and remounted to score points before getting on the podium in Race 2, says the team also focused a lot on the new options from tyre supplier Pirelli.
“It’s always interesting to test, especially when you get a chance to explore different solutions from those utilized during the race,” said Giugliano. “Pirelli brought several new options, for both the front and rear, and we gathered interesting data for the development. We’ve made another step forward.”
Ducati WorldSBK Project Director Ernesto Marinelli believes the test was a fruitful one, too.
“We tested some setups and things that you do normally throughout the weekend, and the afternoon was a straight four hours so it was good to be able to solve a bit the problem we had in the Races. Fortunately, we did and it was positive. Chaz’ feeling was good until the small crash, and we know why that happened, so it’s better to focus on that.”
The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Team now look forward to World Ducati Week from the 1st-3rd of July back at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, before heading off to California for Round 9 of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
