Chaz Davies continued his dominant run of form in WorldSBK by winning at Jerez. The Welshman waltzed to a his fifth win in the last six races, and once again showed just how strong he has become in 2016.
The package of Davies and the Ducati has consistently been to the fore this season, and a constant thorn in the side of Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes.
If not for a mid-season blip that saw him score just 46 points from a possible 150, Davies would be in firm title contention but that run of form ruled him out of proceedings.
Nonetheless his eight wins this year have laid down a marker to the rest of the field. The 2016 title can be won by Rea this weekend, but the war for the 2017 crown has been heating up since the end of the summer break.
After taking the lead in the early laps, and forcing his way through from sixth on the grid, Davies eased away from the chasing Kawasaki riders and opened a two-second lead by half distance.
After the race both Rea and Sykes said that they didn’t have the pace to match Davies, and it’s hard to imagine that changing by tomorrow afternoon.
For Davies, the victory showed once again how much he has improved this year. Jerez was always a difficult track for the Ducati rider but “after 16 years of coming here it’s nice to have figured out how to ride this track!”
For Davies the challenge is now to build on these results at the end of 2016, and build a title campaign for next year, where he takes the fight to Rea from the outset.
The title coronation can take place as early as tomorrow for Rea but a least one title was decided today.
Kawasaki wrapped up a second manufacturers title with a 2-3 finish for Rea and Sykes. The Japanese manufacturer had to wait until last year for their first, but their two in a row success shows the strength of the ZX-10R.
Photos: Ducati Corse
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