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15 April 2013

GOLDBET SBK TEAM


DAVIES TAKES WSBK DOUBLE IN ARAGÓN


It was a dream day for the BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team at the Spanish track of Motorland Aragón. Factory rider, Chaz Davies was the man to beat at the second round of the 2013 FIM Superbike World Championship after the Welshman won both races on his BMW S 1000 RR. He made the best use of his front row start and celebrated his first ever double-victory in the series. His team mate Marco Melandri, who started from eighth, jumped on the podium in third place in race one. In the second race, Marco finished fifth. In the Riders' championship, Chaz has now climbed into second place with 63 points, while Marco sits in fourth with 43 points. In the Manufacturers' classification, BMW lies in second with 79 points.

In both races, Chaz was on for the victory from the word go. In race one, the Welshman took the lead on lap five, while his immediate rivals, Eugene Laverty and Tom Sykes, ran into difficulties. Once at the front, Chaz grabbed the chance to secure his first season victory with both hands and lap by lap he increased his lead which brought the win home safely. Marco improved from eighth to sixth within the opening lap, but went wide when fighting for positions and consequently fell back to ninth place. The Italian once more showed a great determination and caught up: on lap five, he was already third, taking second place on lap 13 by overtaking Sylvain Guintoli. Unfortunately on lap 16 he went wide again and dropped a number of positions, only to fight his way back onto the podium crossing the line in third place.

The second race was shortened to 19 laps after the start was delayed. This time, Chaz took the lead on the second lap and began building the gap in front of his pursuers. He kept a cool head and rode a determined race to secure his second victory of the day. Not only this, but he also rode the fastest lap of the race. In the opening stages it seemed that both riders of the BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team would be on the podium as Marco had a brilliant start and took third place on lap two. But he then experienced some issues and was not able to hold the position. Consequently, Marco slipped back into fifth which was the position he held until the chequered flag.

In the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup, reigning champion Sylvain Barrier rode to victory at the season opener at Aragón. This meant that the BMW Motorrad GoldBet STK Team rider secured the first ever international victory for the brand new BMW HP4. The bike is equipped with the Dynamic Damping Control DDC, meaning this was also the first ever victory of an electronic damping system in the history of motorcycle racing. Sylvain's team mate Greg Gildenhuys finished tenth. In addition, BMW Motorrad Motorsport congratulates Jörg Steinhausen and Grégory Cluze for their success at Aragón. The pair won the first round of the 2013 FIM Sidecar World Championship with their LCR BMW S 1000 RR.

Chaz Davies: "For me it is just an amazing day. I cannot explain how happy I am. What a weekend! My first victory with BMW and then the double win - this is something I was hoping to achieve this year but I did not expect it to happen this early. I want to thank BMW and everybody who supported me. I knew coming here that we are going to be strong. BMW has done a fantastic job over the last month we had off since Australia, and everybody was working very hard. In addition, I now really feel that the RR is mine, I feel so comfortable on it.

In race one, the DNFs by Tom and Eugene definitely made it easier. In race two it seemed that I had a comfortable lead, but to be honest I had to push a lot. One of the most impressing things is the fact that we have done a lot of testing in Jerez but not here in Aragón, where nearly everybody else has been. So to win with that up against us, is quite impressive and it is credit to the work BMW has done. We will now keep being focused, continue to work hard and look forward to Assen, another race track I really like."

Marco Melandri: "For me, it wasn't the best weekend. After race one I was still pretty happy. At the start I wasn't very comfortable with the front end and I made a big mistake trying to catch the guys in front of me at the end of the main straight. After that I got into a good rhythm and improved into second place. I thought that would be my position in the end but unfortunately the bike went into neutral between third and second gear. But I finished in third place which was not so bad for me. In race two, based on my experience with the 16.5 inch tyre, I chose a harder tyre for the front. But with the 17 inch tyre, it worked differently to how I expected. I had less grip and could not ride properly. In the beginning I pushed very hard, but then I preferred not to risk too much. I had no pain in my shoulder, but by the end of the race I had no strength left in my arms. I am looking forward to the next race in Assen, when we will be in a better shape. Congratulations to Chaz. He rode awesome - well done!"

Andrea Buzzoni (General Manager BMW Motorrad WSBK): "It was an extraordinary weekend. All team members have worked day and night over the last six months to make it possible. The guys in Munich and Bologna are extremely committed and this is the perfect reward for them. These results show their passion and show the amount of responsibility they put into their jobs. Chaz has impressively shown his talent with two perfect races today. He demonstrated that he was a mature rider and to be ready to be one of the season's main contenders. We trust him and he proves to be an excellent rider and person. Marco, despite a difficult Saturday, had a good first race. If things would have gone a little bit smoother, it's possible that he could have fought for the victory. In race two, a wrong front tyre choice prevented him from being amongst the front runners. He collected important points for the season after finishing in fifth place.

This weekend, the brand new BMW HP4 equipped with DDC made its debut in the Superstock Championship. Thanks to the development work that the team have done over the last three months, BMW wrote an important page in the history of motorcycle racing as it is the first bike to win with an innovative electronic damping system. I want to congratulate both the team along with our colleagues in Munich for developing the system and Sylvain, who knows how to make perfect use of this new technology: Sylvain dominated the whole weekend right from free practice up until this morning's race."

Stephan Fischer (Technical Director BMW Motorrad Motorsport): "It is a great day for BMW. We are reaping the rewards of our development work, with the RR and as well with the new BMW HP4. The icing on the cake for sure was Chaz' double victory in the top class, the World Superbikes. After race one, it could have been said that Lady Luck contributed her part, but in fact in racing you do need luck. But in race two Chaz impressively proved that he was dominating today. Over the whole weekend he rode at a constant rhythm, he did consistently fast laps, and the bike suited him perfectly. The development team provided the excellent basis and the race team at the track transferred it very well to suit Chaz' needs and found the right set up quickly. It is a really great result for all of us. Marco struggled today, but we are convinced that he will be back to full strength very soon.

In the Superstock category, the new BMW HP4 proved its potential impressively. Over the whole weekend, Sylvain rode the best times consistently and as a result celebrated the victory today. We have built the basis for great success in the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup this year with introduction of the electronic damping system and the hard work of the team."

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