P2 ‘the best way to end difficult weekend’ - Davies

Chaz Davies concluded round two of the 2021 WorldSBK season with a first podium this season at Estoril.

The second place finish was anything but straightforward for Davies though, as the GoEleven Ducati rider had mechanical issues that resulted in him completing only four laps during FP2, while a yellow flag on his only qualifying lap caused by Tito Rabat meant a 15th place start come Sunday’s Superpole race. 

And with the Superpole race classification setting up the grid for race two, it was imperative for Davies to get inside the top nine, which he did by finishing ninth.

In the final race of the weekend, Davies profited from Toprak Razgatlioglu’s two long-lap penalties and former team-mate Scott Redding crashing whilst battling for the lead, however, the Welshman’s pace throughout was just as good as both riders and also race winner Jonathan Rea. 

Following the weekend, Davies said: "It’s the best way to end what’s been a fairly difficult weekend. We’ve had our fair share of bad luck and obviously what happened in Superpole conditioned the whole weekend from the beginning. 

"It was great to move forward in the Superpole Race and at least get myself a little bit closer to the lights and I made the best of it with a decent start.

"I got into the thick of a good group to begin with. I felt like I rode pretty well in the other races as well but that the bike was a little bit better today and just did my thing. 

"Clearly the rhythm was pretty good, it was enough. I was running down Jonny [Rea] and Scott [Redding] for a time and thinking I might be able to have a little bite at them. 

"Obviously, Scott made his mistake and then Jonny had a different tyre, where again, he had a little bit more to play with at the end of the race."