In nine rounds held so far, Giugliano, 21 years-old, has thus far scored four race wins and three second place finishes, as well as today's fifth position, winning the Superstock 1000 championship ahead of schedule, at the penultimate event. He has already accumulated 171 points to Petrucci's 144. This is the fourth time in five years that a Ducati rider has taken the Stock 1000 trophy. But Giugliano's was not the only victory today - thanks also to the results of the Althea Racing pairing this season, Ducati has snatched the manufacturer's trophy, with 215 points to BMW's 173. Davide's team-mate Lorenzo Baroni is now in sixth position in the standings after this ninth round, with 70 points.
Davide Giugliano: "I don't know what to say. This has been a fanstastic season right from the start and I want to thank my whole team, and especially Genesio Bevilacqua for having given me this opportunity, and also Ducati for giving me such a high performing bike. Ducati has also won the manufacturer's title so it's like a double celebration. In today's race, I made a great start but I have to admit I was pretty tense and couldn't ride as I wanted to. The other guys made a great race ahead of me but I, especially in the final laps, was so nervous. Maybe I could have pushed harder but I finished fifth and that was good enough - the title is ours. I'm so, so happy, what else can I say?!"
Lorenzo Baroni: "Unfortunately as soon as I left the garage I realised there was a problem with the clutch. I started the race but could tell that it wasn't possible to race and so I had to pull back into the pits almost immediately. I'm really disappointed because, from sixth on the grid, I think I could have made a great race, maybe reaching the podium. A real pity, but we hope to make up for it at the final round at Portimao."
Genesio Bevilacqua - General Manager di Althea Racing: "First I want to express my satisfaction because the Superstock 1000 title is very important and today, more than ever, it is a championship of an extremely high level, so this is an expression of not only the rider's talent but also of the technology and the bike's capability in the hands of the right rider. There are many strong riders here but this young man, Davide Giugliano, who back in January was still without a contract, has done it. A fantastic triumph for him, for me personally, and for the whole team that has supported him all year. With regard to today's race, we'd planned ahead of time let's say. Seeing that he was unable to get ahead of the pack, he decided not to take any unnecessary risks and this is another demonstration of his maturity as a rider. A huge thank-you to all of our sponsors, above all Unibat, and to Ducati for its support - I am also very happy to see that Ducati has scored the manufacturer's title in this category too."
RESULT: 1. Petrucci (Ducati); 2. Zanetti (BMW); 3. Barrier (BMW); 4. Canepa (Ducati); 5. Giugliano (Ducati); 6. Massei (BMW); 7. Antonelli (Honda); 8. Morais (Kawasaki)
CLASSIFICATION: Riders - 1. Giugliano (Ducati) 171; 2. Petrucci (Ducati) 144; 3. Zanetti (BMW) 137;4. Barrier (BMW) 112; 5. Canepa (Ducati) 109; 6. Baroni (Ducati) 70; 7. Antonelli (Honda) 67; 8. Reiterberger 64. Manufacturers - 1. Ducati 215; 2. BMW 173; 3. Kawasaki 83; 4. Honda 75; 5. Yamaha 16
