Alstare Ducati's Carlos Checa made some progress with the setup of his Panigale in the second Portimao World Superbike race, allowing him to change direction more easily which gave the Spaniard's shoulder an easier time.
The former world champion didn't have an easy time of it in race one, struggling with his injury towards the end but some tweaks in between the encounters saw him able to maintain a fast pace for the whole race to come home in sixth.
"In race one I was able to keep pace with those ahead of me for the first six or seven laps. From mid-race on I started to gradually lose some grip and that, combined with a tired left shoulder in the final stages, unfortunately prevented me from maintaining seventh position to the line," said Checa.
"We made small changes before race two and as a result the bike was much easier to ride, especially when it came to changing direction. It was the first time I was able to maintain a good pace for the entire race and I’m very happy with the result."