EWC, ERC without Zanetti: Chaz Davies on the Ducati at Le Mans

With David Checa already on board, the ERC Ducati team will have a new rider for the Le Mans 24 Hours next week, a replacement for injured Lorenzo Zanetti. We’re talking about Chaz Davies, the former Ducati rider who retired from racing at the end of 2021 and who currently serves as coach to the Aruba.it team in Superbike. Davies will compete as part of the team in the opening round of the Endurance World Championship.

A dream come true for Chaz Davies

“Lorenzo is still in hospital", explains Uwe Reinhardt, CEO of ERC Endurance Ducati, "He has several broken bones and we don’t know if he’ll be able to race at Spa, but we have Chaz Davies stepping in for him at Le Mans. Davies is a former Ducati factory rider with a lot of experience and I hope he can reach the podium, it’s important.”

“It’s a real blow for Lorenzo - continues Reinhardt – because the pre-season tests went really well. It’s a pity for him to miss this race, but he’s a real team player and it’s good that all the riders were fast. I spoke with Chaz for an hour and he said ‘OK, I want to race’. This is a dream for him.”

Davies’ entry in the EWC follows on from that of another former world championship star, namely Bradley Smith, who has signed for MotoAin Yamaha.

Translated by Heather Watson

SBK, Dall’Igna: “The title? We rely on Alvaro Bautista’s return”