McAMS Yamaha’s James Ellison took 21 points away from his debut MCE British Superbike round with the team and felt frustrated but positive in equal measure.

The former Kendal man was able to run at the front of the pack with the 2017 R1 but an engine brake problem held him off the podium.

“It was a bit of a frustrating weekend at Donington for many different reasons. First off we left the Spanish test second overall and under the lap record, so of course expectations were very high coming into the first round. The weather made things slightly frustrating as we didn't get to do so many dry laps but even then I still felt confident that we would run at the front in both races,” said Ellison.

“Race one I took the lead fairly early and if I'm honest it felt surprisingly comfortable, but after about eight or nine laps I started experiencing backing in problems from our engine braking strategy and knew then we were in trouble. As the race went on, every lap became more and more difficult to tip into a corner without the rear wheel locking up.

“But we are positive as the bike has so much potential and I can't wait for the following races to unleash it. I would say that the first half of both races exceeded my expectations due to the lack of track time and development we've had, but the latter half of the races were a disappointment and something as a team we must learn from ready for Brands Hatch.”