Fresh from his MotoGP debut at Misano, Jonathan Rea returns to the World Superbike Championship at Portimao this weekend and already has in mind what he needs to change in order to get back on the podium.

The young Irisman, who bagged eighth place on Casey Stoner's RC213V, is looking to get more corner exit speed from his Fireblade so will be trying to conjure some extra edge grip from the rear Pirellis in Portugal.

"I’m really looking forward to this weekend because I love riding at Portimao – it’s a very challenging circuit from a rider’s point of view. It’s also where I had my first World Superbike race so it holds some special memories for me," said Rea.

"We made some positive steps with the Fireblade at Nurburgring but there’s still lots more to do, especially with the electronics, working on acceleration on the side of the tyre to improve corner exit. We also need to develop the engine characteristics to smooth out the power delivery, so there’s a bit to do.

"It certainly won’t be easy but I think we can approach the weekend with some confidence in our challenge because the bike has gone well at Portimao in the past and I have a pretty good connection with the circuit."