Source: Supplied.

Aruba.it Racing Ducati launched its 2017 Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) squad of Chaz Davies and Marco Melandri overnight, including the reveal of its revamped Panigale R, which has a series of chassis, engine and electronics upgrades.

After finishing the 2016 season with 11 wins, including six in a row, the Aruba.it Racing Ducati team is preparing to tackle a 30th WorldSBK season. Capturing the championship is the clear priority.

“In the last few seasons the Panigale R has constantly improved from a competitive point of view and, thanks to the synergy between the MotoGP and SBK projects, we have had a lot of success,” explained Ducati Corse general manager Luigi Dall’Igna.

“However development never stops – in the winter tests we brought several innovations to the engine, chassis and electronics, and now we want to express our full potential and win the Riders’ and Manufacturers’ titles.

“We know that our rivals are going to be tough to beat, but we can count on two riders of undisputed worth such as Chaz and Marco as well as an extremely competent and close-knit team, so we are looking forward to the challenge that awaits us with confidence.”

After finishing third in last year’s standings, Davies is solely focused upon delivering the crown to Borgo Panigale after signing a fresh two-year extension with the factory organisation. He said the best is yet to come in 2017.

“The start of a new season is always an exciting moment,” Davies said. “We are ready to start from scratch, even though we hope to maintain the form we had in the final part of last season. During the winter I realised that nothing stays still in this sport.

“We are all anxious to improve and redefine our own limits. Aruba.it and Ducati are giving everything to improve the bikes we have at our disposal and every day we make another step towards our aim, but the best is yet to come.”

Despite a year off from racing, Melandri has displayed pace during testing and takes an open mind into the season: “I’m really excited about this opportunity. My feeling with the Panigale R and the team has been great ever since the start and lap after lap we have discovered our potential, getting closer and closer to the leaders.

“It’s difficult to make any forecasts because the SBK championship is more competitive than ever, but I can’t wait for the lights to change at Phillip Island to have that feeling of adrenaline again that only racing can give you. It’s not going to be easy to beat our rivals, but we’ll do everything possible to be ready on time, after which anything is possible.”

The Aruba.it Racing Ducati team is now set to leave for Australia for two days of pre-season testing at Phillip Island on 20-21 February, just a few days before the opening round of the season the following weekend.