The track nearby Kuala Lumpur – which hosts the WorldSBK championship for the third consecutive year and was recently repaved – triggers some sweet memories for the Welsh rider, second in Race 1 and first in Race 2 in 2015 after a thrilling, last-corner move on Jonathan Rea.

Last year, Davies’ Panigale R was alone in the pits due to Davide Giugliano’s injury in Laguna Seca. The Italian, who showed progress in Imola to finish the two races in fifth and fourth place respectively, will thus have an important benchmark to gauge the progressive improvement of his setup and get even closer to the top. After five rounds, Davies (186 points) and Giugliano (88 points) are respectively in second and fifth position in the championship, while Ducati is second in the Manufacturers standings with 196 points.

In Sepang, in 2015, we scored an unexpected win. This year, the track was repaved and I heard the banking changed in some corners, so it will be a somewhat new track for everyone and there will be more variables to take into account.

Chaz Davies is looking forward to racing in the hot weather after a chilly spring in Europe.