While competing in the AMA Formula Xtreme Championship in the United States on Yamaha in 2007, Chaz Davies was recruited at short notice by the Pramac d'Antin team to replace Alex Hofmann who had just been injured during free practice. This is how he made his debut on a Ducati in MotoGP at the Mazda Raceway in Laguna Seca.
At the end of the season, the Welshman replaced the German again at Phillip Island and Sepang, before having to withdraw from the final race due to a wrist injury.
Previously, Davies had ridden more or less sporadically in Grands Prix, with 15 races in 125 in 2002, and 55 in 250 between 2003 and 2006. He then rode from 2006 to 2009 in the United States in AMA Formula Xtreme, AMA Supersport and AMA Pro Daytona SportBike.
In the Supersport World Championship, he rode a Triumph in 2009 and 2010, then became World Champion on a Yamaha R6 in 2011.
Chaz started in the Superbike World Championship in 2012 with ParkinGO MTC Racing Aprilia, before joining the official BMW Motorrad Goldbet team in 2013. Born on February 10, 1987 in Knighton, he was integrated into the official Ducati WSBK team in 2014, and he recently finished second in 2015, third in 2016 and second in 2017 in the Superbike World Championship.
Davies believes that he has given a lot in WSBK for Ducati, and that a season in MotoGP would not displease him.
“I understand his desire, assured Paolo Ciabatti, the Sports Director of Ducati Corse.
“He achieved valuable results in the World Superbike Championship. The next step would be to test it in MotoGP. Unfortunately, MotoGP teams and manufacturers bring few World Superbike Championship riders onto their grid.
“I come from the Superbike World Championship, but if you are in the MotoGP paddock, then you focus on what is happening in the World Championship.
“It is almost impossible for an official MotoGP team to choose a Superbike rider. You could give him a spot on a satellite team. He could be competitive, even if the MotoGP level is extremely high.
“Today, no official team will take a Superbike rider in his first year. They should run for Pramac or Tech 3 or LCR first.
“Plus, the top riders in the Superbike World Championship have a salary they would never have gotten at a MotoGP satellite team. »
Photos © Ducati
Source Andrea Agosto for Motorinews24.com
