Once again, WorldSBK proves to be a great competition for Nolan Group and its riders, with podium finished and even race wins yet again across multiple levels.
In Superbike the Aruba team trio rode exceptionally well! The victory and the podium for Chaz Davies, another podium for Marco Melandri, and the excellent performances of Michael Ruben Rinaldi, in his Superbike debut on Ducati.
Very good performance too, for Federico Caricasulo, second in Supersport, and Markus Reiterberger, winner in Stock 1000 won on his BMW.
The thoughts of all of us at Nolan go to Leon Camier, the English rider has been a member of our team for years. Unfortunately on Saturday Leon was part of an accident that prevented him from participating in the race. A precaution taken to get him back on the track as soon as possible!
As for the Superbike, we are already waiting for you next week in Assen!
SUPERBIKE
CHAZ DAVIES EACE1: 2nd
"It was a good race. To start from 11th isn't ideal but I made two good starts and took my time to let the race come to me. Eventually, I just started pressing a little bit more and got closer to Marco and Xavi. I was struggling to find an opportunity but I put it together in the end. It was a fun battle with them in the last lap. I wasn't feeling 100 percent with the bike today but I learned a lot. We'll try to put it to good use and come out swinging tomorrow."
MARCO MELANDRI RACE1: 4th
"Today's race was a bit complicated. In the beginning I was struggling in some areas, while in the end I was faster. Unfortunately I wasn't able to pass effectively. Each time I crossed lines with Forés, the bike was moving a bit and I couldn't finish the move. I had a big wobble coming out of the last corner in the penultimate lap, which penalized me while braking into turn 1. It's unfortunate, because our potential is higher, so I'm keen to bounce back on the podium tomorrow."
MICHAEL RUBEN RINALDI RACE1: 8th
"I'm happy with this first race. Until half-way through, I was riding close the leading group and with a similar pace. Then, since I'm not used to manage tires over this distance, I dropped the pace a bit. Anyway, to finish 8th at my debut is a good result."
CHAZ DAVIES RACE1: 1st
"I had to really work hard for this win, coming from 8th place on the grid. I knew we could pull through, but in the first few laps I didn't have the feeling I was hoping for. We opted for a softer rear tire and I was expecting to have more stability, but the rear kept spinning a bit so I stayed patient without trying to force my way through. Then, I made some passes and found myself in a good position to ride my own race. I'm really, really happy to have sealed my 7th win here at Aragon. Thanks to the whole team and Ducati. I can't wait to race again next weekend in Assen."
MARCO MELANDRI RACE2: 3rd
"I had a really competitive pace but I couldn't be as aggressive as I would have liked. Every time I changed the line to make a pass, the bike was still moving a bit. It's difficult because we have the speed but we still need to solve this issue. During the last lap I almost crashed at turn 3 because I lost the rear brake lever but luckily I didn't and, since it was the last lap, I could make it to the podium. It's a good result, but we can do better. We'll keep working hard to achieve more in Assen."
MICHAEL RUBEN RINALDI RACE2: 7th
"It was an awesome race. The top guys are so fast. I wanted to try and follow them for the whole race, but in the end I was exhausted and the tires were finished. Anyway, I'm really happy with finishing 8th and 7th at my debut, we couldn't get off to a better start in this new category. We'll try to keep improving at Assen."
SUPERSPORT
FEDERICO CARICASULO 2nd
"I am happy because my team did an amazing job to give me a bike with the perfect setup! It was difficult during the race because we seemed to be a bit slower on the straights than the others but it is okay, as I know the team will work really hard to fix this before Assen. I like the Assen track a lot, it has lots of fast corners and this usually makes for very good racing. It is great to have been on the podium in every race so far this season, now I want to add to that with a victory at Assen!"
STOCK 1000
MARKUS REITERBERGER: 1st
"The weekend was great. We have successfully developed from a very good setup of the test already on Friday. In qualifying, we delivered fast laptimes directly, so we had very little stress. The race was a bit harder than expected because we had a little less grip due to the temperature difference. I slipped a few times over the front wheel and could not break down so hard into the corner. After I changed my riding style, it went better. The team did a great job and handed me with a great bike. With the result, I can sleep peacefully and look forward to Assen.“
