Davies: We must get the best out of Panigale R

Chaz Davies is eager for Aruba.it Racing Ducati to refine its current Panigale R package than “throwing parts at it and confusing the situation” as he looks to strikeback at Brno.

After a strong start to the year by both Davies and Melandri for Ducati, as well as Xavi Fores for the independent Barni Ducati team, the Italian manufacturer has failed to secure a World Superbike race win since race two at Aragon.

All Ducati riders suffered for feeling and pace with the Panigale R at Donington Park last time out, with eighth place in race one and fifth place in race two for Davies the best offering, but while the Welsh rider admits his frustrations at the situation he feels maximising its current package rather than taking on different methods is its best chance of returning to form.

“I think if you’ve got a solid package and you get the best out of it that is usually better than throwing parts at it and confusing the situation while potentially making it worse,” Davies said. “The starting point for me is getting the best out of what we have got and I don’t feel like we’ve got that yet.

“It doesn’t worry me but it is frustrating that we are not achieving what we used to.”

While focus begins to shift towards Ducati’s debut of the V4 Panigale next year, Davies wants to concentrate on its current package to correct its results in 2017 starting at Brno.

With the Czech Republic round returning to the World Superbike calendar for the first time in six years, Davies’ only previous Brno outing in the series was during his rookie year with ParkinGo MTC Racing Aprilia with 11^th and sixth place finishes.

“The [Brno] test for us was so-so with some of the issues from Donington crossing over there but it was just a test,” he said. “We’ve got some good data from it so we are ready to go there and hopefully build on what we can from this weekend.”

Davies sits second in the World Superbike riders’championship but a whopping 64 points off leader Jonathan Rea for Kawasaki.