Following the final European round at Magny-Cours, the Aruba.it Racing - Ducati team has now flown to Argentina for the twelfth and penultimate round of the season, set to play out at the San Juan Villicum circuit. The track, which is situated in the centre-west part of the country not far from the border with Chile, was only completed last year and as a result is still a bit of an unfamiliar factor for Chaz Davies but above all for Álvaro Bautista, who has never even seen the place.

Both riders will want to conclude this penultimate round in the best possible way, looking to capitalize on the last remaining opportunities to go in search of podiums and victories. Currently, Bautista (415 points) and Davies (223 points) are respectively second and seventh in the overall standings. The Aruba.it Racing - Ducati team will take to the track on Friday 12th October at 10.30 local time (CET -5) for the first free practice session.


Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati #19) – 2nd (415 points)

“There are only two rounds left in the championship now, in Argentina and Qatar, so it’s very important to win some races before the end of the season. Now the next track at San Juan Villicum will be completely new for me, and surely the other riders have a lot more experience than me because they raced here last year. I’ll try and learn the track as quickly as possible and be competitive throughout the weekend. Our target is to work well and try and get the maximum in the last two rounds.”

Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati #7) – 7th (223 points)

“We’ve only been once to Argentina, so as a result we don’t have many references on this track, and above all none with the Panigale V4 R. From what I hear the track isn’t used a lot, so I think it will be another case of the circuit conditions changing throughout the weekend and you just have to get to grips with it. It’s an enjoyable layout, really fun to ride, I liked it a lot last year and I enjoy Argentina as well so there’s a lot to look forward to.”



The San Juan Villicum circuit

WorldSBK arrived in Argentina in 2018, with the San Juan Villicum circuit in the western province of San Juan becoming the host venue for the Argentinean Round for a second successive year. This circuit, after hosting a number of other events, has become one of the main motorsport venues of Argentina. Its mainly mountainous relief interspersed by valleys under a mild dry climate makes it an ideal place for all kind of sportive activities.