Aruba.it Racing Ducati WorldSBK Team presented
The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team for the 2019 Superbike World Championship was presented inside the futuristic surroundings of Aruba’s Global Cloud Data Center at Ponte San Pietro near Bergamo.
There are two major changes for the Italian team – regarding both the bike and the riders – as it lines up for the 32nd season of World Superbike racing. On a technical level, the 2019 season marks a historic turning-point for the Borgo Panigale manufacturer.
Aruba.it Racing Ducati WorldSBK Team
Present since the very first edition of the world championship back in 1988 and winner of 17 Manufacturers’ and 14 Riders’ titles, Ducati will be racing a four-cylinder Superbike for the very first time – the Panigale V4 R.
The Panigale V4 R was developed on the basis of experience accumulated in MotoGP and features a number of evolutions from the previous model, not only from an engine point of view, but also in terms of chassis, electronics and aerodynamics.
With regard to the riders, the arrival of Álvaro Bautista is equally significant, the Spaniard highly motivated and ready to face a new professional challenge in Superbike after nine years spent racing in MotoGP. The 34-year-old from Talavera de la Reina is a rider with considerable experience, having also raced in 250cc and in 125cc, the category in which he won the title in 2006, and he has rapidly adapted to the new technical scenario.
Aruba.it Racing Ducati WorldSBK Team presentation & Panigale V4 R unveiling
He will line up alongside the 31-year-old Welshman from Knighton, Chaz Davies, three-time championship runner-up in the last four seasons, who has put the past year’s bad injuries behind him and who will tackle his sixth successive season in Superbike aboard a factory Ducati.
The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team will now set off for Australia, where the traditional pre-season tests will be taking place at Phillip Island on 18th and 19th February in view of the opening round of the 2019 Superbike World Championship held at the same track on the following weekend, from 22nd to 24th February.
Chaz Davies – Aruba.it Racing Ducati WorldSBK Team
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #7) saying, “I’m very excited and motivated about the season that’s about to start. After five years and many great memories with the twin-cylinder bike, the time has come to begin a new challenge and I can’t wait to get back on track with the Panigale V4 R. My last tests were hampered a bit by the twinge I felt in my back, but my overall physical condition is much better than last year and in any case we managed to complete our test schedule. We’ve still got two more days of testing left and they will be fundamental to define the last details, and then finally we’ll be racing again. The start of the year is going to be even more exciting than ever, and having a new bike – as well as a new team-mate – is going to be extra motivation for me.”
Alvaro Bautista – Aruba.it Racing Ducati WorldSBK Team
Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #19) adding, “I can’t wait to start this new adventure. The balance of the winter tests is really positive. The project is a new one and there’s still a lot of work to be done but lap after lap we found a good base to work on. I still have to adapt to this new technical situation, particularly the tyres, but the performance shown in just six days of testing is undoubtedly encouraging. Phillip Island is a spectacular track and I’ve always liked it, there couldn’t be a better place to begin this exciting new adventure and we’ll do our best to be ready.”
