After finding big improvements from Friday and Saturday, Michael Van Der Mark secured back-to-back top six finishes during Sunday’s WorldSBK double-heade✤r at San Juan.

Van Der Mark, who claimed P5 in the ten lap Superpole race⛦, was unable to challenge for thꦺe podium as race two went on, but the BMW rider was only eight seconds down on team-mate for next year and eventual race winner Scott Redding come the chequered flag.

Given some of the margins ღbetween BMW riders and race winners in the dry t🌄his year, that’s a big step-forward for the German manufacturer. 

"It’s been a good weekend. I must say on Friday we struggled a lot so I wasn’t really sure what we could do but we made a big improvement on Saturday 🐭morning," said the Dutch rider. 

"Race one was alri🍬ght, but in the warm-up we tried to change the bike a little bit and the pace was again alright but not the feeling. 

"On Sunday, temperatures were q♑uite low in the morning, so we went back to Saturday’s set-up and had a really good Superpole Race. It was quite fast, was a lot of fun and I was faster than Satu♎rday so we left it all the same for race two."

Van Der Mark’s first year with BMW aboard the new M 1000 RR has been very up-and-down - the highlight being his wet Superpole race win in Portima💖o. 

And although consistent podiums are a stretch too far for the team at present, Van Der Ma📖rk b🌜elieves ‘the reality’ of the situation is not that bad. 

Van Der Mark said: "There’s a lot of bikes and different riders doing a𒁏 really good job and being really close. 

"For u🦋s, the first year with the M 1000 RR, to be able to fight with them I think is really positive. 

"Of course, as a rider you want to make steps and finish o🌞n the podium but sometimes you have to look at the reality. I think we’re not doing a really bad job."