Stiggy Honda's Leon Haslam is remaining upbeat about his World Superbike title chances after a nightmare weekend in Qatar saw him slip down the points table to fifth.

Electrical gremlins limited the former HM Plant Honda man to just 15 flying laps in qualifying and the same problems, plus a race-tyre gamble in Superpole saw him on the fifth row for both races.

Speaking to bikesportnews.com this afternoon, Haslam said: "I got two crap starts and was punted off the track in race one and had to claw my way back from 28th or something.

"I was really happy with my race pace as I was lapping as quickly as the guys in fourth and fifth, and in race two I think it was only Spies and I that were into the 1'59s, so that's encouraging. It took me 16 laps to get past Fabrizio in the second leg, and as soon as he was out of the way, I banged in a fastest lap.

"It could have been a worse weekend in all fairness. I'm still top Honda and top British rider, and I'm only four points off Neukirchner in third place."