Be Wiser Ducati’s Shane Byrne is confident that their current project is moving in the right direction after he topped the MCE British Superbike qualifying at Knockhill.

Byrne edged out Honda’s Jason O’Halloran by just 0.001s but the Lambeth rider was quick to point out that he is in the midst of working through the total development of the PBM Ducati.

“It’s work in progress isn’t it,” said Byrne. “We have a completely new project we’re working with and step by step it’s getting better. 

“That was always obviously the agenda, we needed to score as many points as we could at the beginning of the season, try and stay in the top six and hopefully score some podium points to then help us get through to the Showdown. 

“By then we should have had two or three stages of development of the bike and we’ll have the tools we need then to fight for another championship.”

In a difficult session at Knockhill, interrupted by extremely poor wet conditions, Byrne looked composed on the Panigale but he is having some trouble with the feel of the bike.

A strong race at Brands pleased the Be Wiser Ducati rider but he said the test recently at Snetterton had him back scratching his head again, and he was pleased to get things right in Scotland.

“It seems like every single track we come to it’s really difficult to get the initial setting but once we get there the bike gets better and better,” said the four-time champion. “Fair play to the team, they did a great job today.”

Be Wiser Ducati had been expected to get some new parts during the last break, but Byrne revealed they haven’t arrived yet although he is expecting them by Snetterton.

The Londoner said Knockhill isn’t a track where the team would have benefitted greatly from any new parts anyway.

“Knockhill you need some power to get out of the hairpin and up over the top of the hill but it’s really tight and twisty and it’s more about how usable your bike is, how well it puts its power down,” said Byrne.

“Certainly in the wet the Ducati seems to be working real well and nice for me that Ernesto Marinelli is here, the boss of Ducati Corse – he’s come to see us for the weekend so a pole position for him, that’ll make him happy.”