Aruba Ducati’s Chaz Davies marmalised the World Superbike opposition in today’s first race at Motorland Aragon, snatching the lead from poleman Tom Sykes on lap four and promptly clearing off at more than half a second a lap to win by four seconds.

There was no messing about from the Welshman as he passed team-mate Davide Guigliano and reigning champion Jonathan Rea on lap two, set about chasing down Sylvain Guintoli and Sykes with a second a lap in hand.

Davies slid underneath the Frenchman into the mini-corkscrew and then got such a good drive on to the back straight he was able to slipstream the faster Kawasaki to take the lead and simply clear off.

The win brings him to only two poins behind Sykes in the championship chase while Jonathan Rea increased his lead at the top with second.

Rea got off to a slow start and was getitng used to some new settings in the Kawasaki but found his mojo with ten laps to go, first taking third from Guintoli before taking down rival Sykes with a slipstream move the Huddersfield man was unable to replicate as Rea’s drive on to the back straight proved superior.

Behind the podium men, early challenger Guintoli slid backwards to end in ninth place and was clearly having issues with the Pata Yamaha as he was passed easily by Xavi Fores, Giugliano and team-mate Alex Lowes as well as Nicky Hayden and Jordi Torres.

Fores eventually won the battle for fourth after banging fairings with Giugliano while Hayden put in another solid performance for sixth.

Torres got off to his usual slow start but came through to for seventh, dispening both Pata Yamahas. Lowes passed Guintoli with five laps left to run after sliding backwards from the front row at the start.

Ioda Aprilia’s Lorenzo Savadori passed team-mate Alex De Angelis for tenth with Roman Ramos in 12th. Josh Brookes got the better of BMW stablemate Markus Reiterberger on the last lap for 13th with Karel Abraham on the second Milwaukee bike completed the points finishers.

Leon Camier retired from eighth place with more than likely engine problems while Michael Van Der Mark crashed out with 15 left to run.

Aragon World Superbike race one - conditions dry

1 4 7 C. DAVIES GBR Aruba.it Racing - Ducati Ducati 1199 Panigale R 18 1’50.421 312,1 1’49.909 301,7 25 80 3
2 5 1 J. REA GBR Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki ZX-10R 18 4.168 1’51.141 311,2 1’50.003 305,9 20 115 1
3 1 66 T. SYKES GBR Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki ZX-10R 18 4.948 1’51.361 303,4 1’49.374 302,5 16 82 2
4 9 12 X. FORÉS ESP Barni Racing Team Ducati 1199 Panigale R 18 12.723 1’51.308 304,2 1’50.538 301,7 13 15 16
5 6 34 D. GIUGLIANO ITA Aruba.it Racing - Ducati Ducati 1199 Panigale R 18 13.151 1’51.205 306,8 1’50.316 303,4 11 46 6
6 10 69 N. HAYDEN USA Honda World Superbike Team Honda CBR1000RR SP 18 21.117 1’51.453 313,0 1’50.551 305,9 10 41 8
7 8 81 J. TORRES ESP Althea BMW Racing Team BMW S1000 RR 18 22.112 1’51.748 313,0 1’50.390 304,2 9 42 7
8 3 22 A. LOWES GBR Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team Yamaha YZF R1 18 25.575 1’51.502 306,8 1’49.708 304,2 8 20 12
9 2 50 S. GUINTOLI FRA Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team Yamaha YZF R1 18 28.941 1’51.336 306,8 1’49.583 307,7 7 47 5
10 12 32 L. SAVADORI ITA IodaRacing Team Aprilia RSV4 RF 18 34.956 1’52.871 308,6 1’50.958 306,8 6 23 10
11 16 15 A. DE ANGELIS RSM IodaRacing Team Aprilia RSV4 RF 18 35.075 1’52.628 311,2 1’52.173 314,0 5 17 15
12 14 40 R. RAMOS ESP Team GoEleven Kawasaki ZX-10R 18 37.310 1’52.285 299,2 1’51.560 297,5 4 21 11
13 18 25 J. BROOKES AUS Milwaukee BMW BMW S1000 RR 18 37.442 1’53.031 303,4 1’52.443 297,5 3 17 14
14 13 21 M. REITERBERGER GER Althea BMW Racing Team BMW S1000 RR 18 37.731 1’52.523 311,2 1’50.938 307,7 2 30 9
15 15 17 K. ABRAHAM CZE Milwaukee BMW BMW S1000 RR 18 52.270 1’53.179 305,9 1’52.052 305,9 1 10 17
16 19 20 S. BARRIER FRA Pedercini Racing Kawasaki ZX-10R 18 56.295 1’53.804 302,5 1’53.169 302,5 2 20
17 20 94 M. LUSSIANA FRA Team ASPI BMW S1000 RR 18 1’07.602 1’53.678 297,5 1’54.042 291,9
18 21 9 D. SCHMITTER SUI Grillini Racing Team Kawasaki ZX-10R 18 1’35.691 1’55.561 292,7 1’54.569 294,3
19 23 56 P. SEBESTYÉN HUN Team Tóth Yamaha YZF R1 18 1’35.746 1’55.216 292,7 1’55.444 289,5
20 25 10 I. TÓTH HUN Team Tóth Yamaha YZF R1 17 1 Lap 1’58.905 289,5 1’57.217 291,9
Not Classified
RET 22 11 S. AL SULAITI QAT Pedercini Racing Kawasaki ZX-10R 16 2 Laps 1’55.249 292,7 1’54.719 291,1
RET 17 151 M. BAIOCCO ITA VFT Racing Ducati 1199 Panigale R 13 5 Laps 1’53.423 298,3 1’52.246 295,9 6 18
RET 24 16 J. HOOK AUS Grillini Racing Team Kawasaki ZX-10R 13 5 Laps 1’56.611 290,3 1’56.023 292,7
RET 7 2 L. CAMIER GBR MV Agusta Reparto Corse MV Agusta 1000 F4 9 9 Laps 1’51.684 297,5 1’50.360 294,3 19 13
RET 11 60 M. VAN DER MARK NED Honda World Superbike Team Honda CBR1000RR SP 3 15 Laps 1’51.387 307,7 1’50.744 305,9 65 4
Air: 15° Track: 30° Humidity: 41%