Ben Spies hopes he can maintain the momentum from his first MotoGP podium after taking a breakthrough third at Silverstone.

The Superbike world champion turned Tech 3 Yamaha MotoGP rider battled past compatriot Nicky Hayden's Ducati on the last lap to secure his podium spot.

"I tried as hard as I could," said Spies. "It was a good race, a special one, and hopefully I can keep the confidence going."

The American said he had bided his time once he realized how competitive his bike was in race trim.

"It was tough. Once we got off the start and saw we had the pace to fight for the podium I just tried to save my tires and learn as much as I could," said Spies.

"Then with five laps to go, [Randy] de Puniet made a mistake, I got around him and there was a chance at the podium. So I just started trying to find where it was possible to pass Nick. We fought for a few corners on the last lap and it was a miracle."