DRASTIC MEASURES
Ducati considers emergency Mugello test after Imola flop
Few were in the mood for talking as Ducati left Imola on Sunday night. With no race win at the track where they have dominated for the last two years it was a tough weekend for the Ducati bosses in attendance and their disappointing results were played out in front of a huge crowd. It was the biggest at Imola since Dorna took control of World Superbikes in 2013. Such was the pain of defeat at their home track, the Bologna team are now frantically trying to organise an impromptu test at Mugello before travelling to the Donington Park round next week.
In 2016 and 2017, Chaz Davies scooped two wins and two fastest laps from pole position. Although he out-qualified his Italian teammate Marco Melandri for the first time this season, both men were trounced by Jonathan Rea in front of almost 80,000 Ducati-loving fans. Things looked promising at the start of 2018 as Melandri did the double in Australia and Davies won the second Thai race at a circuit on which Kawasaki had previously dominated. But Rea has fought back since then.
The Ducati garage was downbeat on Sunday night. Not only had their chief rival overcome major technical obstacles to smash the opposition in Ducati’s back yard, but the Panigale was slower than it was last year. Both Melandri and Barni rider Xavi Fores complained of poor pace on a heavy fuel load, while Davies did well to qualify third, despite an early crash in Superpole. Davies said: “I didn’t have a good feeling. The track temperature went up and I struggled on corner entry and exit. The bike was really unstable. I could hear Johnny behind me and knew it was only a matter of time before he came past. I tried to go with him but couldn’t.” The third official Ducati rider Michael Ruben Rinaldi was much happier, leading the first two laps on Sunday. He said: “I am thrilled to lead, but still need to be better in the second half of the races.”