Davies ‘optimistic’ ahead of season opener

After a disappointing and somewhat subdued Phillip Island test, Chaz Davies remains optimistic that he and his side of the Aruba.IT Racing Ducati team can become competitive for the season opener this weekend.

The two-time runner-up in WSBK endured a difficult two-day test, although the Welshman said that he “felt better on the bike, even though the lap times don’t show it yet.”

“We focused on consistency, lapping mostly with one tyre to better evaluate all the modifications we were trying. I feel better on the bike, even though the lap times don’t show it yet. We’ve basically covered all the items in the program.

“We’re still looking for improvements in some key areas but we have some more upgrades coming for round 1 so I’m optimistic about our chances to make steps forward and be competitive come race weekend.”

Davies’ languishing down the time-sheets is a stark contrast to his Italian teammate, Marco Melandri, who was top after day one and third on day two, finishing half a second ahead of his team-leader.

The racing starts on Saturday with qualifying and race one, with race two on the Sunday. This will be the third season that WSBK has adopted the split-race weekend formation, a controversial topic for fans and teams alike.