Source: Supplied.

Former British Superbike Championship winner Josh Brookes returned to the podium with Anvil Hire Yamaha at Snetterton, in what’s shaping up to be a sign of more success to come for the Australian.

Brookes finished second in both races to defending champion Shane Byrne, matching his season-best result previously attained at Donington Park’s opening round. And the best is yet to come in the season’s mid-stages.

“It’s a reflection of the hard work we’ve done in the previous rounds,” Brookes stated. “It’s like an iceberg, what you see on the TV is only the tip, there is a lot of work going on in the background that has brought us to this position. We’ve had what have appeared to be difficult weekends in results, but it’s a process – we have all the ingredients to make a winning bike, but all the pieces have to go in the right place.

“I think this weekend is a reflection of all the hard done recently and I hope now this us breaking through that surface and shows what the potential is for later on down the line. I’ve said it before, it’s almost a replay of 2015, I have to learn the process, structure and the people and build on the weaknesses till you make them strengths, but it does feel very much like 2015 and hopefully the pattern continues.

“Qualifying seventh was clearly my lack of performance through qualifying and having to start on the third row, I only have myself to blame. But qualifying isn’t always a representation of what your race package is, but we were burning away in the background focussing on a good race pace. To be second to Shakey and the Be Wiser Ducati team is not a bad weekend, they set a very high benchmark and if we compare ourselves to them it’s not so bad.”

Brookes currently sits fourth in the championship following the opening five rounds, with nine podium points to his credit and one position ahead of countryman Jason O’Halloran, who was third in both races on Sunday.