This week saw the start of crucial testing and configuration prep ahead of the SBK 9^th round taking place on the 18-20^th Aug. FAI sponsored Chaz Davies along with team mate Marco Melandri were put through their paces over two days by the Aruba.it Ducati team. Luckily weather conditions were changeable between sessions which gave Chaz practise on both wet and dry setups, a rarity so far, this season. Despite not being fully recovered from his Misano crash Chaz was pleased with the teams’ progress -

“It was a good test overall. On the first day we didn’t really stay within our usual window, and we experimented a bit. So, I was looking forward to this morning, to get back to what we know and gauge our level more in depth. We still have room for improvement but I'm happy with the way the Panigale R felt in its more usual setup…. Also, it was important to lap in the wet, as I think we improved the setup for those conditions, so I’m really happy with that. Physically I’m OK, I just felt a little back ache on the first day, like in Laguna Seca, but it wasn’t an issue.”

Chaz set the bar extremely high in the first race of the 2016 Lausitz session, leading the entire race from the first corner and clearing the finish line a full ten seconds ahead of 2nd place. The second race of 2016 saw very wet weather which thankfully Chaz has now had the opportunity to work with.

Could the 2017 race be a double win? We like to think so. Good luck Chaz!