Aruba Ducati’s Chaz Davies believes the new Panigale 1299 had brought him and team-mate Davide Giugliano to the same level as the Kawasakis in 2015 and he can expect to make a serious challenge for the World Superbike Championship.

The Welshman, ever a cautious man off the motorcycle, was quick to puncture the big red balloon of expectation floated in his direction by those who say that now Ducati has an advantage – that it is the only bike to be on.

“I do not feel like we have an advantage. I feel that it has levelled the playing field. Probably with this bike in the last two years I feel like we have been at a disadvantage and it’s not hard to see that,” said Davies.

“The other riders out on track can see what kind of improvements we have made throughout 2014. I had seen the improvements that were made from 2013 to 2014 because I was on track with Carlos (Checa, who rode the 1199 in 2013).”

“Given another year of the same rules we would have had a better shot at it, but seeing as how the rules have changed, I would say that it is going to level the playing field; as it sort of needs to be.

“There has clearly been a couple of bikes over the last couple of years that are dialled in and have had years of data and gradual improvements made to them. Nobody else was really in their league week-in and week out but hopefully this has turned things on its head a little bit.”

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