Superbike, Pirelli French Round: Aruba Racing Ducati takes to the track with confidence

Remembering last year's performance, Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) hopes to repeat himself this weekend at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, home to the eleventh round on the calendar, a fairly complicated track, where it is difficult to overtake , and where a decisive unknown will be the weather.

Davies scored a splendid one-two last season and therefore knows that the Panigale R is able to adapt very well to this track, also thanks to some updates coming from the Portuguese test.

“Last year we were fast at Magny Cours, but we made the difference above all from a tactical point of view, with two intelligent races. In Race 1 we bet on the intermediates and we were rewarded, while in the second we managed the tires as best as possible" – he explained Chaz Davies – “We emerged victorious from two very different races. The track itself is quite favorable to the Panigale R, but the same goes for our main rivals. In Portugal we struggled a bit, but we understood why and I expect to be much more competitive and battle in France. Weather is always a key variable there, and it's unpredictable. In the past we have had some summer days and some winter days, so there is no way to prepare in advance. We will do our homework and try to finish the work on the track."

Marco Melandri will make his return to the French track, where he has already won in the past, but hopes to be able to race on a dry track, given that he has little experience with the Panigale R in the wet.

“Magny Cours is a different track” – he began Marco Melandri – “With some very different sections and, overall, a really interesting setup. There are a couple of strong braking sections and other very 'guided' and flowing sections, so it's never easy to find the right compromise in terms of set-up. If nothing else, the surface should be more homogeneous than the last tracks we raced on. The weather often plays an important role in France and I hope to find a dry track because, even though I won there in the wet, in the rain the grip is really poor. Furthermore, I rode very little in those conditions with the Panigale R. Surely, if it rains, the margin for error will be zero, but we are confident and ready to play our cards from here to the end."