Round 7, the halfway point and another iconic Italian circuit to contend with. On arrival at the coastal track, teams were met with high temperatures although, with rain forecast for Saturday, the decisions on race set-up would prove tricky for most.

Chaz Davies & Alvaro Bautista were third and eighth respectively in the first two free practice sessions; both struggling to find the grip needed to improve their lap times.

Race one was a bit disjointed due to heavy downpours which delayed the start and then interrupted riders during the race with sections of the track red flagged as conditions worsened. Despite these distractions and the race being shortened to 20 laps, both Alvaro and Chaz secured respectable positions.

Davies started from 9^th where he soon pounded up the leader board to fourth; encountering a few issues later on in the race, he was in 5^th when the flag came down. Bautista got off to a shaky start but settled into the race during the second half, managing to score a podium position of third.

Unfortunately, day two was to prove difficult for both Aruba riders, with a combination of crashes and problems with grip & stability. Chaz lost control on the third lap of the Superpole but managed to re-join the proceedings, only to come 17^th. The Welshman continued to struggle with grip issues going into the second race, resulting in 7^th place.

Bautista was brimming with confidence following the Superpole which he dominated but the wind was soon taken out of his sails when early on in the race, he lost control of the front end. Determined to finish, the Spaniard hopped straight back on, although he couldn’t better 14^th.

Alvaro is still the championship leader but by a narrow margin as Rea closes the gap. The next round is just two weeks away; where the riders will be England bound for Donington Park Circuit.