Aruba Ducati’s Chaz Davies bagged his first ever Phillip Island World Superbike podium in race one today and then doubled it a couple of hours later, saying that previously he had either lunched his rear tyre early at the Australian circuit or ended the race in the back of an ambulance.
The Welshman is over the moon with the Panigale’s development over the past 12 months and he was able to stick with both Jonathan Rea and Leon Haslam in the two races today but said that Phillip Island is as much about looking after your tyres as it is about going as fast as you can. He rode the same C rear as Rea while Haslam opted for the B and had a little more rear grip left.
Davies’ tyre strategy was good enough for him to take the lead towards the end of race two but he was just edged by his two rivals over the final half-lap. He leaves with 32 points and third place in the title chase.
“I’m happy. Being so close to the win nags a little in the mind but the other times I have been here I have either destroyed the tyre too early or gone home in an ambulance so it’s great to get out of Phillip Island with a double podium, feeling good in the races, the effects of good winter testing and all in one piece. It’s the best possible way to start the championship,” said Davies, speaking at Phillip Island.
“As much as Phillip Island is about as riding as fast as you can, it’s also about tyre management. I think myself and Jonathan were very similar in our management, Leon seemed to be able to be a bit more frugal but it is a different bike and he was on a different tyre. It’s a management game. The pace was half a second away from where it could have been but to get to the end in one piece and have some tyre left to give you that last bit of punch on the last five laps is where you need to be.
“It’s a huge improvement. Last year I set the lap record, was flying for a few laps and then went backwards. We have come a long way in 12 months. We need to build on this, keep the momentum going. We’re doing a mega job on making sure we were good for 22 laps. Phillip Island is a place I’ve always struggled at. We weren’t quick over a lap but we were there at the end.”
