If anything demonstrated that WorldSBK requires radical change it was at Portimao. Hail Jonathan Rea’s magnificent double which takes him to the brink of another world title but despair at the inevitability of it all which has made for a very dull series.

However, hope is at hand – or is it? Following the proclamation by Dorna boss Carmelo Ezpeleta, not one with a penchant for watching grass grow and certainly not under his feet, that revolution was needed hope mixed with fear has pervaded the paddock over the ensuing weeks.

All will be revealed soon. It may take a little longer than first anticipated because consultation has to take place between team owners, manufacturers, riders and sponsors. Oh, and of course the governing body, the FIM. Not an easy task for series director Daniel Carrera as you a are generally forced to go at the pace of the slowest – those who are most resistant to change.

Sadly, fiddling over the last two seasons appears to have had had little or no impact. The series is dominated Kawasaki and Ducati wh not only have the best bikes but arguably the best riders. Can’t blame them but when a championship is all but decided with six races still to go then it hardly has even mad keen Superbike fans salivating with anticipation.

What is likely to happen? What needs to happen? Conversations with Carrera, a man who cares deeply about the championship, and certain team personnel who have been involved in the discussions, would suggest that the biggest change being discussed is limiting revs, something which was introduced some time ago in British Superbikes.

It seems there is general agreement that this should happen, although Kawasaki are probably less enthusiastic because the loss of 1500rpm at the top end will hamper their top end speed and will cause a lot of head scratching over the winter. Everyone will suffer, including Ducati, but its bigger capacity V-twin engine generates more grunt at lower revs and may be affected to a lesser degree.

Other technical changes are also being discussed including a control ECU but this is not likely to happen next year as at least one manufacturer violently objects.

The objective of all this is to level the playing field and create closer, more competitive, racing. A major change at the start of the season - reversing the first three rows of the grid for the second race - has not achieved the above mostly because Rea has demonstrated the speed and ability to get from ninth to first in about two laps.

This was an unpopular initiative with the riders but is not, so far at least, being abandoned. But ways are being looked at to making it more effective without increasing the likelihood of first corner pileups. A suggestion that the grid should be lengthened, making the first leg winners even further from the front, is not being taken seriously.

The one bike per rider rule, brought in some years ago in order to reduce cost, is also under the microscope as teams do have two bikes, the other one being a rolling chassis in the truck. Not much cost saving there.

Are other more radical changes being discussed following Mr Ezpeleta’s intervention? There should be. His suggestion that regulations should be at a Superstock level is not likely to happen although the objective of the changes is to make the specification somewhere between the two. There is also the fact that Ducati will turn up with a 1000cc V4 racebike in 2019 which will probably wipe the floor in the Superstock class.

The fact is WorldSBK has nothing to lose. They can afford to be radical and put their foot down as Dorna did with the manufacturers over MotoGP regulations some years ago. And how radical is copying what is proving immensely successful in British Superbikes? The Showdown when the six top riders, this year riding five different manufacturers’ bikes, battle for the Championship at the final three events. In NASCAR they call it The Playoffs. It happens in other sports that have come to recognise they are in the entertainment business.

Or have compulsory pit stops for tyre changes. It is great for television, it can change races and WorldSBK is, after all, a production bike series. Endurance racing does it so there is not a safety problem as some have claimed.

Sunday is still the big racing day. Having a leg on Saturday to provide a prelim from Sunday is ok but let it be just that. Make the Sunday race the big event - more laps (lower revs use less fuel), more points and maybe pit stops.

Or how about another way. Provide competitive rides for Rea and Davies in MotoGP. One or two teams, it is said, have been sniffing around…

Of course, all the above might be immaterial if we just had half a dozen evenly-matched teams generating intense rivalry between the riders and producing unpredictable results at every round. If that's Carrera's goal then bring it on.