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SBK, Davies: Great improvement in the afternoon. I am ready to battle with Rea

The Welshman satisfied with his Friday at Imola: "We were fast on the flying lap, but especially with race pace. Riding in front of so many Ducati fans is fantastic".

SBK: Davies: Great improvement in the afternoon. I am ready to battle with Rea

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The weekend on the banks of the Saterno could not have started any better for Chaz Davies who is looking down from the top after the first day of practice, undoubtedly putting smiles on the faces of team Ducati Aruba at their home round. All of this despite a rather troubled morning session: “I am certainly satisfied - Chaz explained - since it was a good first day. This morning I had a few problems, especially with the front where I did not feel confident on several occasions. So in the afternoon we changed some things, especially with the balance, and things improved significantly. I was able to try different tyres, as well as a few measures for the race. We did a good lap time, below last year’s race record. The most important thing, however, is our pace on used tyres which is quite close to our best lap. We still have some details to sort tomorrow morning in terms of engine brake and the electronics, but the base for the race is definitely good.”

So the gauntlet has already been thrown for tomorrow and the main man to beat for the Welshman can only be one.

“It will be the same group battling, first of all Jonny (Rea ndr) and me, but Marco (Melandri ndr) is not far off either. It will be a long race tomorrow and it is important that the bike performs as best as possible for the entire distance.”

Providing their own push toward the objective are the many Ducati fans who already made their presence felt today.

“It is fantastic to race in Italy because of the affection that the Ducati fans give you. We are quite close to Bologna and that makes this round special, as well as my favourite of the year. I hope to be able to give the many Ducati fans who come out a nice gift.”

Translated by Jonathan Blosser
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