2019 WorldSBK Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R livery revealed
Álvaro Bautista & Chaz Davies headline Ponte San Pietro team launch
The 2019 Superbike World Championship Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team has officially unveiled the new Panigale V4R in team livery, as well as introducing Álvaro Bautista who joins Chaz Davies on the team, having competed the last nine years in MotoGP.
2019 is a particularly noteworthy year for Ducati, as the manufacturer introduces a four-cylinder Superbike for the very first time in the Panigale V4 R, having won 17 Manufacturers’ and 14 Riders’ titles since 1988.
The Panigale V4 R, developed on the basis of experience accumulated in MotoGP, 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.
Álvaro Bautista
“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.”
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.
Chaz Davies
“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.”
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.
Claudio Domenicali – CEO of Ducati Motor Holding
“This year we will truly witness a historic turning-point. Racing is an inseparable part of Ducati, just think of the many examples in which the technology and know-how developed on the track have then been applied to production models. The Panigale V4 is a perfect example of this philosophy: it’s the first Ducati production bike to be fitted with a four-cylinder engine and equipped with technology coming from MotoGP. In just twelve months it has become the new benchmark for style, technology and performance, with more than 6,100 units delivered across the globe, and it has allowed us – for the first time ever in company history – to achieve a global sales record in the superbike market segment. Now we also want to take it to the top on the track, its natural habitat, by making it become the king of SBK in the 1000cc R version.”
2019 WorldSBK Calendar
- Round 1 – Phillip Island – February 22-24
- Round 2 – Buriram – March 15-17
- Round 3 – Aragon – April 5-7
- Round 4 – Assen – April 12-14
- Round 5 – Imola – May 10-12
- Round 6 – Jerez – June 7-9
- Round 7 – Misano – June 21-23
- Round 8 – Donington – July 5-7
- Round 9 – TBA – July 19-21
- Round 10 – Portimao – September 6-8
- Round 11 – Mangy-Cours September 27-29
- Round 12 – San Juan – October 11-13
- Round 13 – Losail – October 24-26 (Thurs-Sat)
Source: MCNews.com.au