No good dwelling on the Brno result and unfortunately it seems to be the way my season has panned out, but it certainly keeps me focused and ready for Silverstone.

We have the pace to be achieving all our objectives and I could think of nowhere better than Silverstone to start showing what we can do in the race.

All the signs are there.

I said before Indianapolis that I wanted to come into my home grand prix with a couple of good results and a new 2015 contract in my back pocket.

I didn’t quite achieve all three, but I’m so looking forward to the Hertz British Grand Prix after a very encouraging couple of weeks.

I knew I must finish at Indianapolis, even if it was just a midway step by riding smart and getting a decent result, so sixth place just about fitted the bill.

After signing my new contract I really wanted to step it up at Brno in the Czech Republic.

Qualifying in fourth place just five-thousandths of a second from the front row and a very encouraging morning warm-up really set me up, but I didn’t come away with the result I was expecting. I’m sure I could have been fighting for fifth, but finished ninth.

For the first couple of laps I was so engaged in the race in front of me with so much going on my mind, I didn’t concentrate on actually what was really happening.

Three laps in, I knew that I had a problem. I tried everything I could to stop the rear wheel spinning by changing my lines going into deeper, going in later and trying to be smoother.

I was more aggressive and even tried to sit on the back of the seat to find grip.

I saw teammate Pol (Espargaro) crash and I was also starting to lose the front end at some places.

It would have been easy to throw it down the road in frustration, but you have to be patient and get it home.

Bridgestone do a great job 95 per cent of the time and I was unlucky I had a problem with my rear tyre similar to the one in Barcelona.

Normally, you are unfortunate if you get two punctures a season, but to get both in one race makes you particularly unlucky.

After the great job in qualifying, the warm-up went so well with a full fuel load and on a rear tyre we used in qualifying, I felt solid and I was getting faster.

I’m busy preparing for Silverstone.

We arrive home with 12 months more experience and in a much better position.

Last year, I was hoping I might squeeze a top-ten finish, but this year we are confident of pushing for the top five.

It was also great seeing two factory Yamahas on the podium at Brno. That first win of the year will come and could well happen at Silverstone.

Meanwhile, I found out about the 2015 contract after the race at Indianapolis from Herve Poncharal which certainly made the flight home that extra bit special.

I got a great night’s sleep, so had been a great weight on my mind.

It made getting and training the next day so much easier and I arrived in Brno with a real spring in my step and loads of people congratulated me on the renewal and my qualifying display.

It made me feel upbeat, even if ninth place was not the result we expected.

Marc (Marquez) was unlucky as he did not put a foot wrong and it was a technical problem preventing him setting the record of 11 straight wins at the start of the season.

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