PHOTOGRAPHY BY GOLD & GOOSE
Aruba.it Racing Ducati’s Chaz Davies looks forward to Laguna Seca more than any other circuit on the calendar and he proved he had early pace as he finished the first practice session in third place—behind only the dominant official Kawasaki pairing of Rea and Sykes.
For Davies Laguna is simply the ideal circuit for his Ducati’s characteristics. “It is one of the tracks that definitely plays to our bike a bit more,” said Davies, before explaining why. “There are no big straights here, not too many start-from-nothing acceleration areas, except for the last corner. It limits where we are hurting a little bit. The track flows a bit so you can keep that momentum higher, keeping corner speed.”
Acceleration is the main issue for the Panigale in 2015, so making the most of the available momentum is key for Davies. “You do not have to be stopping the thing and pulling it round that last part of the corners here, picking it up and driving. That is where our thing is struggling a little bit. Also with the speed kicking through the gears. It is only really here where it is important because some people only run a four-speed gearbox at Laguna. Over the hill it is more of a question of how much grip you have to be able to hold it flat out. So this place is definitely bit more suited to us.”
