MCN’s top ten WSB riders: 8th

A remarkable season of FIM Superbike World Championship racing delivered an eclectic bunch of riders onto the podiums, from Australia to Qatar and all points in between. MCN’s entirely subjective top ten rider run-down attempts to grade the top riders from ten to one.

8^th Davide Giugliano

• Championship position: 8th
• Wins: 0
• Podiums: 2

Ducati’s latest great homegrown hope runs the number 34, such is his admiration for a certain Kevin Schwantz. As yet however, Giugliano is still on the upslope of his learning curve towards challenging for world titles.

WSB greatness may well be his one day, as he has pace and heart to burn, but he frequently oversteps the marks that his ever-improving Ducati Panigale still cannot quite cross. Against the best four-cylinders in 2014, at least.

An entertainer for the fans and a Superstock champion for Althea Ducati in 2011, the Roman rider is likeable, fearless and over one lap sometimes he’s the fastest of the lot. He’s a rocket in human form, but sometimes an unguided one.

Never one to demonstrate too much restraint when a podium chance beckons, his constant attack tactic has obvious flaws and his points scores got slashed in 2014 as a result.

Seven DNF are many too many but when he gets this aspect of his race craft sorted, and his Panigale gets even more competitive as it surely will in 2015, race wins await.