After a memorable weekend at Jerez marked by an incredible double victory for Aruba.it Racing – Ducati’s Chaz Davies, the Ducati squad stayed in the sunny south of Spain for the Official WorldSBK Test.

The Weslshman and his teammate Davide Giugliano’s 2017 preparations focused on evaluating suspension components and new tyre compounds (both for the front and rear) as well as electronics upgrades ahead of the final round in Qatar. The Welshman put in 63 circulations of the track gaining valuable information to take away at the end of it.

“Today was just about sticking to a program, we haven’t done too many laps or chased lap times, but we’ve been through some items for now and 2017,” explained Davies. “We tried some new stuff for suspensions and some electronics, all of which turned out to be quite positive, and also a couple of new tyre compounds. Compared with the racing weekend, the track was a bit more greasy since the temperatures were higher, but it has been a productive day nonetheless. We set our fastest lap in hotter conditions, so we leave Jerez pretty happy.”

Though his weekend wasn’t as successful as his teammate’s, Giugliano put in 50 laps of the Spanish circuit in order to help him work on settings ahead of the season finale at the Losail International Circuit. “It’s been a positive day overall,” said the Italian. “Our priority was to improve the setup from the weekend, in order to be faster with higher temperatures when the grip is lower. We managed to improve our speed quite a bit, even without pushing for a lap time and working with used tyres extensively. The shoulder still hinders my riding, but we’ve made a good step forward. We still need more stability on the rear to allow me to turn faster and make the most of corner speed, and this is what we’ll focus on in Qatar to finish the season on a high note.”

The Aruba.it Racing - Ducati team will be back on track at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar for the final outing of the 2016 MOTUL FIM World Superbike Championship on the 28^th to the 30^th October.