MotoGP: James Toseland eager to get engine upgrade

British rider James Toseland says he can’t wait to get his hands on the latest spec Yamaha MotoGP motor after he made a stunning start to his MotoGP career in Qatar.

Toseland qualified on the front row and eventually finished sixth on his debut after he just failed to overhaul seven-time world champion Valentino Rossi in the closing stages.

James Toseland is currently campaigning Yamaha’s 2007 spring valve YZR-M1 motor, which on average was 5 to 8mph slower than the new 2008 pneumatic valve engine used by Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo.

Toseland and Tech 3 Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards will get the engine for the Estoril MotoGP in Portugal next month.

And Toseland told MCN: “Worst case scenario is we get the engine for Estoril and Yamaha have always been open and honest about that.

“It’s great to know that I can finish in the top six knowing there is more improvement to come that should move us even closer.

“But it is obvious we need a bit of grunt. When Jorge (Lorenzo), Valentino (Rossi) and Casey (Stoner) all came past me on one lap together in Qatar they must have got a massive slipstream on me because they nearly sucked the sponsors off my back.

“That’s the difference and we knew we had between 10 and 20ks down. We knew we had that all weekend and we knew racing was going to be tough.

“I just had to do the best with what I have got until we get the upgrade. But it is nice to know that we have got more improvements coming.”