World Superbikes: Could it be lucky seven for Chaz Davies?
- Published
Chaz Davies has 27 race wins and 67 podiums to his name
For a decade Chaz Davies has been considered one of the hottest properties in British motorsport.
The 31-year-old from Powys will line up on the grid for the opening round of the World Superbike (WSB) championship at Phillip Island, Australia this weekend.
His winter preparations for what will be his seventh season have been less than ideal after a heavy crash in November, but he did find the time to marry his girlfriend Hattie in the snowy Brecon Beacons.
The Welshman finished runner-up to three-time champion Jonathan Rea in 2017, but believes he has what it takes to go one better this year.
"I'll just keep on knocking on the door of race wins, that's what will win a championship," he told BBC Wales Sport.
Davies began his racing career in 1999, starting out in the 125cc and 250cc World Championships before a brief stint in Moto GP. He switched to World Supersport in 2010 and became the first Welshman to win the championship the following year.
He then joined World Superbikes and has ridden for the Italian team Ducati since 2014.
Davies rides rides the #7 Ducati Panigale R for the Aruba.it Racing - Ducati team
Davies spent his winter recovering from last year's injuries.
He suffered ligament and tissue damage to his knee and wrist in a high speed test crash in Jerez in November. This was after a horror crash during the race at Misano, Italy in June, where he had a spinal injury, trauma to his chest and a fractured thumb.
"It's been a long process for me to feel like myself... I wish it was the 1st of January again because we're just about to start the season and it's only the last couple of weeks when I've started feeling decent," he said.
But he said he was feeling "quite relaxed" about the weekend races.
"It's important to stay calm for now, it's a long season so by the time we get back to Europe I expect to be on full form.
"You can't force form overnight. If you try and force it you inevitably end up going slower."
Davies was run over by Rea's bike after the crash in Jerez
Having finished third and twice runner up in the past three seasons, Davies believes he can challenge defending champion Jonathan Rea for the title.
"If we play all our cards right, I think yeah we can win.
"I'm pretty confident we've got what it takes. We've proven before that we can win races and push our strongest competitor harder than anybody else."
He said taking his first WSB championship is the "ultimate goal", and outside of that he wants to "keep knocking on the door of race wins".
"That's what I always aim for, trying to get the best out of myself and of our package.
"I don't think we've shown all our cards just yet."
Davies was runner up to Rea in both Phillip Island races in 2017
As the lights prepare to go out for the 2018 season, so brings the introduction of technical regulations which aim to level out the racing field and make the results less predictable.
Last season, Rea (Kawasaki) and Davies (Ducati) won all but three races between them, with only a handful of other racers making up the podiums.
An adjustable rev limit and concession system for engine development are among the new rules which aim to bring an end to their dominance.
Davies has mixed feelings about them.
"From a spectator and fans point of view I think it's a needed change," he said.
"Personally I feel like it's not really racing as I know it. I would call it a balancing championship, which is pretty typical in car racing.
"Now it's like you kind of get your wings clipped for doing good.
"But it's different and I'm not going to complain about it."
Davies won the World Supersport title in 2011, and for the past five years he has been fighting for the World Superbike championship crown
Davies has made his Moto GP ambitions no secret, and has been eyeing a return to motorcycle racing's premier class after competing as a replacement rider for Ducati in 2007. But he said he will only go on his terms.
"I always aspire to go one level up and hopefully that opportunity will present itself one day, but I've always said it would have to be the right opportunity.
"There's no point going just to make up the numbers, you need to go with the right bike and team to give yourself the chance of getting the best possible result."
Davies married long-term girlfriend Hattie, also from Powys, in the Brecon Beacons in December
Davies said his recent nuptials can only improve his racing.
"Getting married doesn't change anything on the track," he said. "I feel the same as what I did this time last year... I've been with Hat's long enough so nothing's really going to change.
"I think it can only bring positives because we've been together a while."
Davies moved to Spain a couple of years ago, having spent his winters there. He said it was not home, but has the climate and infrastructure to take his riding to the next level.
"You always miss home... but I still love travelling, seeing places and getting involved in whatever we come across."
Davies celebrates a race victory with his Ducati team
Davies said he was able to return to mid Wales less frequently now, but it was always great to go back.
"There's a difference between friends from around the world and friends from home," he said.
He added that he was disappointed the Circuit of Wales project had fallen through.
"For me it would have been fantastic because it's only a short hop from home.
"It would have been a true home race, which is something every rider dreams of. It looked like a spectacular project, not just from a circuit point of view.
"Hopefully one day we'll have something there."
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