James Ellison says he will need to make an improvement in qualifying if he is to challenge for honours during the latest ViSK.com British Superbike Championship round at Mallory Park.

The Airwaves Yamaha rider arrives at the Leicestershire circuit determined to make inroads into team-mate Leon Camier's substantial championship lead following an indifferent weekend last time out at Knockhill.

On that occasion, Ellison blamed a sixth place starting position for being unable to make as much progress around the short circuit. With Mallory Park posing a similar challenge, Ellison is targeting an improvement on the Saturday.

“I enjoy riding at Mallory Park, but more than anything, I'm just looking forward to getting back on the bike. I think it's going to be similar to Knockhill in that it'll be close all weekend. There are a lot of guys out there with a similar level of talent, all riding at the limit.

“I'll need to make sure I qualify a lot better than last time. Starting sixth at a short circuit like Knockhill or Mallory Park makes the races so much more difficult.

"We won't be able to use the full potential of the Airwaves Yamaha YZF-R1. Because of the nature of the circuit, and of course the chicane, we won't be able to go through all of the gears fully. But it'll be the same for everyone out there. The team has put together a fantastic package at every circuit we've been to so far, so I'm confident we can do well this weekend."