Bryan Staring kept his heels clean on the way to 16th at Jerez, his best finish in MotoGP to date.

MotoGP newcomer Bryan Staring missed out on his first championship points by a single place at Jerez in what was another improved showing for the Australian.

The GO&FUN Gresini Honda rider put together a solid weekend, qualifying his FTR Honda CRT machine in a career-best 18th before putting together a competitive race showing, moving forward to finish 16th.

“It goes without saying that I am happy with my best result so far in MotoGP,” said Staring. “At the start of the race I was struggling a bit but then I got into my rhythm and found the confidence to push.

Despite his limited experience, Staring was able to read the conditions well, managing the challenge of a greasy track which caught out a number of seasoned operators.

It was an overwhelmingly positive weekend for the only Honda CRT in the field, and Staring is pleased with the direction he is heading in with the team, who have offered him their full support.

“I am still gaining experience in this class and I think we are on the right track to start making big improvements,” he added.

“It’s a shame to miss out on the points but I am determined to get there soon and I am sure that with the help of the team, who continue to offer great support, we will do it soon.”