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What can we expect this weekend at Chang International Circuit? More of the same from Australia is what everybody in the paddock will be hoping for! Phillip Island offered three classic races that all came down to the last lap and ended in dramatic fashion.

Jonathan Rea kicked off his title defence by claiming both race wins in WorldSBK, the Kawasaki rider had to dig deep to hold off the charge of Chaz Davies in Race 1 and Michael van der Mark in Race 2. The green machine still seems the fastest and most complete package on the grid, but there doesn’t appear to be the same gulf in performance compared to 12 months ago.

The Ducati is still lacking in terms of top speed but it’s a much smaller disadvantage now and Davies showed that he can take the fight to Rea and win races from the outset this year. The Welshman may have crashed in the second race and handed Rea an early advantage in the season but it did little to diminish the strength of his opening weekend of the year.

Having struggled for confidence on Friday, a raft of setup changes overnight transformed the Ducati Panigale R and suddenly Davies was a force to be reckoned with again for both races. While riders never wish to throw the kitchen sink at a bike in a bid to find solutions, the fact that Ducati gave him a bike capable of winning both races will give them plenty of confidence for the year ahead.

Thailand was tough for Ducati last year but it was at a time when Davies had to ride harder than ever to keep up with the lead group. At that point, the Panigale R was severely lacking in top end power and it forced their riders to try and carry an exceptional amount of corner speed. That disadvantage has been neutralised now, so the team will start this weekend with a blank slate and plenty of confidence.

Confidence is something that Michael van der Mark won't be lacking going into this weekend. Phillip Island was arguably the strongest we've seen the Dutchman since stepping up to the WorldSBK stage last year and his extra experience was clear for all to see throughout the opening races. Having the nerves to lead for long stages of the second race showed that van der Mark is now ready to win races and fight with the top riders.

The Fireblade is certainly closer this year than it was last year and while some circuits could prove a challenge for the Honda, Van Der Mark made a statement of intent in Australia: when the bike is capable of winning races, he will fight for wins. Thailand will be much more difficult but the team will travel to the Far East ready to build on a promising start to the campaign.

The same can be said for both Yamaha and MV Agusta. Both manufacturers exceeded expectations in Australia, with Sylvain Guintoli on the new YZF R1 fighting in the lead group in both races and Leon Camier on his MV Agusta finishing a hugely impressive seventh in the opening race. Phillip Island played to the strengths of the Yamaha, with its fast, flowing corners lending itself to the style needed to ride the R1, whereas this weekend in Buriram there is a much greater variety of corners. Even so, it's clear that the Yamaha has the speed to be a front running bike in WorldSBK this year.

For Camier, the opening round was an exceptional turnaround in performance for the former British champion. The two day test was a disaster but a decision to tune down the power in the engine ahead of the race weekend solved reliability concerns and allowed Camier to fully exploit the supple chassis. Having fallen down the order off the start line he battled back from 17th to eventually finish seventh. Exceeding expectations in Australia means he now needs to continue doing so on the MV Agusta.

Thailand will be a very different challenge for teams in WorldSBK. The Asian circuit will have different conditions and is a completely different layout. Whereas Phillip Island will always promote close racing due to the nature of the track, Chang will offer a much greater reward to teams and riders that find the best solutions. It is highly unlikely that we'll have a fight for the wins involving four different manufacturers and six riders but this weekend will offer a much better indication of what to expect in 2016.

Winter testing typically fails to offer an accurate account of what may happen in races and Phillip Island is a circuit that almost guarantees close racing, but from Thailand we should have a much clearer picture of what to expect from the title contenders this season.