Indonesia WorldSBK: Davies ready ‘to walk away from racing’ following final race

Chaz Davies has competed in his final WorldSBK race as he prepares to embark on ‘the next step in life'.
Chaz Davies, Indonesian WorldSBK race2, 21 November 2021
Chaz Davies, Indonesian WorldSBK race2, 21 November 2021
© Gold and Goose

Chaz Davies🐬 has officially retired from motorcycle rꦏacing after completing his final WorldSBK races of the 2021 campaign. 

What should have been a triple-header inไ Indonesia quickly turned into a 𝕴double feature race weekend - as was the case in Jerez, albeit for very different reasons. 

In Jerez it was due to the sad passing of Dean Berta Vinales in an earlier WorldSSP300 race, which therefore led to an end of racing on that particular Saturday - as a result meaning WorldSBK’s opening rac𝓀e was pushed to Sunday and replaced the Superpole race. 

This happened once again in Mandalika, however, it was extreme weather that caused race one to initially be delayed, before ultimately being🅺 postponed to Sunday. 

For Davies, 2021 has been an up-and-down season 𒈔as he’s managed to take just one podium which came in the shape o𝕴f a second place in race three at Estoril.

That’s Davies’ worst return since joining WorldSBK in 2012 ꧅with Aprilia as he’d never re🐻corded anything less than four podiums in a single season previously. 

Of course, it must be stated the Welshman has been affected by injury throughout the season which also led to missing s♋everal rounds. 

But even so, Davies managed to claim a respectable eighth place in Sunday’s dry race one at Mandalika, before a wet race two proved more difficult. The GoEleven Ducati rider missed out on a second top ten after finishing 1🉐2th.

Speaking after his final race in motorcycle racing, Davi💖es alluded to hoping for another strong resulꦍt, however the lengthy delay left him feeling less than 100% ready. 

Davies added: "It was good to race here in Mandalika, the first race 🍎I was quite happy with, I felt Ok on the bike and I was quite fast especially at the beginning of the race, I was catching t꧙he front group. 

"Then when the track dried I lost a bit, but I was happy with P8. Thꦫen the second race, in the rain here there is really high grip, but I felt a bit strange during the race to 𝄹be honest. I was really motivated to try to finish well, but after the delay I didn't feel particularly normal. 

"Maybe it's to be expected, I try to tell myself a few times: ‘Just enjoy it’, but anyway it's like this. Definitively the first race is the ♒highlight of the weekend. 

"Just thanks to everybody for the support, to the guys, to the Team Go Eleven for supporting me so mucౠh this year, bringing me in like a family. It has been a difficult season, but I really enjoy the time in the garage and myself in general.&nb🅷sp;

"Now I take the next step in life, which is to walk away from motorcycle racing. It has been a great career and looking back it means ✤satisfaction♔. 

"I wish the maximum respe෴ct to all my competitors, congratulations to Toprak [Razgatlioglu] for the champi🐈onship, he did such an amazing job this season, and to Yamaha also. I hope to be back here in future, but obviously not on the bike!"

Read More