Davies' statistics with Ducati speak for themselves

The Mid Wales star and Italian manufacturer have part ways after seven years following the team's decision to stick with Scott Redding and bring in Michael Rubin Rinaldi instead.

Many experts and pundits have come to the defence of Davies, 33, with a feeling within the motorbike fraternity that the changes could ultimately prove to be a mistake.

Davies has also come out in recent days to say he believes the decision was influenced by politics.

Ready to fight for his 2021 place, the Welshman, from Presteigne says he was kept in the dark over his future until a few days before the last weekend, when he once again proved his unquestionable talent by claiming two more podiums in Portugal, which included a win his final race with the Arubi.it Racing – Ducati team.

It marked a perfect, but also bittersweet, end to his seven years with Ducati in World Superbikes, which had seen him finish second in the championship three times, third twice and sixth twice.

Had it not been for the dominance of Kawasaki's Jonathan Rea, who has rewritten pretty much every record in World Superbikes having claimed an astonishing six straight titles, Davies could easily have been a multiple world champion.

His statistics also speak for themselves as his results included 26 wins with Ducati, along with 35 second-place finishes and 25 thirds.

Davies' total number of podiums stands at 86 and he has also picked up seven poles for good measures during those seven years.

Stand out campaigns took place in 2015, when he claimed one pole, 18 podiums – five wins, seven seconds and six thirds – in just 26 races.

Two years later he was again back to his best form taking two poles, seven wins, seven seconds and fourth thirds, again another 18 podiums, this time across 25 races.

And in 2018 he ended the season with one pole, 12 podiums, two wins, six seconds and four third, across 25 races.

Unfortunately, despite those sublime results, Davies was unable to de-throne Northern Ireland's Rea who, on the factory Kawasaki, was simply too good, meaning he was runner-up on all three occasions.

Davies has been no slouch this year either having bounced back from a difficult 2019, when he struggled to get to grips with the new Panigale V4, to end the campaign as clearly one of the fastest riders on the grid.

After claiming his first podium of the campaign following the end of lockdown, when bike action finally returned in Jerez, Spain, with a second-placed finish, he followed that up with two more seconds in Aragon, during round four.

Davies' form continued to steadily build up and after claiming a third in Aragon and Catalunya, in Spain, followed by another at the Magny-Cours circuit, in France, he ended his campaign in superb style, taking a second and a win during the final round in Estoril, Portugal, to finish third in the championship behind team-mate Redding and six-time championship winner, Rea.

The Welshman made his first foray into World Superbikes in 2012, after claiming the World Supersport title in 2011 following three years campaigning on the smaller 600cc machines.

During his title-winning year he dominated by claiming six wins, one second and one third in 12 races.

It means Davies has been competing right at the top end motorsport for 11 years, during which time he has claimed a world title and come so close to taking the major World Superbike prize too.

Currently, he remains without a team for 2021 as all five of the factory teams have announced their line-ups for next season.

But Davies has said he will not just make up the numbers and will continue to fight for the best possible package available.

And while there have been talks but no formal offers, surely he will not be waiting long before another top deal is confirmed.