Source: Supplied.

Australian international Mike Jones is remaining optimistic on his sixth place result at Magny-Cours’ penultimate round of the European Superstock 1000 Championship in France last weekend.

Jones started from the front row, taking the lead in the initial stages before a lack of rear grip at the halfway point saw him slip down the order prior to crossing the chequered flag.

The former Australian superbike champion has put the result into perspective, stating he’s satisfied with the top 10 finish with all things considered.

“We made a great start from the front row and took the lead,” said Jones. “I was trying to run a consistent race, staying within reach of the front, but just before halfway I started to struggle with rear grip and dropped the pace a bit.

“Finishing sixth is nonetheless a good result when you put it into perspective – I never rode on this track before, and racing in such a competitive field is not easy. Now we’ll go to Jerez, a track that I like and know much better. We learned a lot from this weekend and we’ll take into the last round. I’m confident about our chances to finish with our best result of the year.”

Following a string of solid results, the Aruba.it Racing – Junior Team rider now sits sixth in the championship standings as the series heads to Jerez in Spain for the final stop of the series on 20-22 October.