Aruba Ducati’s Chaz Davies goes into this weekend’s Portimao World Superbike round after a brace of podiums at Donington Park and believes he can take the fight to the Kawasakis of Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes.

Davies struggled a little with the Panigale at Donington, suffering from a lack of rear grip in both races but the Portugese track couldn’t be any more different and the Welshman scored a podium last year on a bike that was a lot less developed than it is now.

“I really like the Portimao track and think it is one of the best tracks in the world. It has elements that are similar to a motocross track and in certain sections it’s a little like a BSB track,” said Davies.

“We had a solid weekend there last year and I’m optimistic that we can do well and put up a good fight against our biggest rivals. We continue to aim for podium finishes at every round, something I’ve achieved in every race that I’ve finished so far…”

Get today’s issue of Bikesport News to read more on Davies and his two-year Ducati itch