Birthday boy James Toseland claims stunning sixth

James Toseland celebrated his 28th birthday in style today with a stunning ride to sixth place in an enthralling Australian MotoGP race.

The British rider produced easily the best performance of his rookie campaign as he got embroiled in an epic six-lap battle with new world champion Valentino Rossi.

Starting from the second row, Toseland made a brilliant start and found himself third on the first lap.  Fellow Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo passed him on lap three, only to respond superbly two laps later with a clinical move on the Spaniard at the first corner.

Toseland was then pitched into an epic dice with Rossi as twice the Italian passed the Tech 3 Yamaha rider, only for the double World Superbike to retaliate with brilliant overtakes.

he battle was the highlight of a terrific 27-lap race, and it was only Rossi moved by Toseland again on lap 13 that the Sheffield rider’s resolve was finally broken.

Toseland held fourth until three laps from the end as he brilliant withstood intense pressure from Lorenzo, Andrea Dovizioso and Shinya Nakano before he slipped to sixth.

He tried to pass Dovizioso again on the last lap at Honda Hairpin, but both ran wide.
Nakano nipped through into fifth, and as Toseland tried to snatch the position back, he ran wide at Siberia to drop back to sixth.

“That was an unbelievable race. I got a really good start but Casey and Nicky were incredibly fast at the start. They really put the hammer down and I was wary that I needed to save my tyre for the last few laps, which are always difficult on this track with so much wear on the left side.

“I just wanted to stay out of trouble but I had some incredible battles out there. The one with Valentino was something special. When he passed me I knew I had to get straight back by him. If I had let him go I knew I’d have to push right at the limit and that would wear my tyre. The rear was already spinning at that point as I tried everything I could to keep him behind me.

“When he did pass me and he pulled a gap, I did push a bit too hard and that cost me towards the end of the race. But it was an honour to be racing with Valentino and passing him. In the last three laps I’d just lost a bit of grip and that was crucial because it probably cost me those two places. I knew fourth was up for grabs so I tried to pass Andrea at Honda Hairpin.

“I am just happy with the way I rode. I rode hard and I am really pleased that on my birthday I put a good show on and I could enjoy it. I was riding my heart out and when I have a ride like that and I pass Valentino it encourages me even more.”

Toseland defended his move on Dovizioso on the final lap, with the Italian again launching a furious attack for what he branded ‘dangerous riding’.

Toseland said: “We ran a bit wide and Andrea seemed a bit upset but I passed him without touching him. I am sorry if he is upset, but he is upset for no reason. I was fighting for the best result of my MotoGP career so I had to try something.

“Shinya came by as I ran wide but I passed him back at Siberia, only for him to come right back underneath me because I ran a bit wide again.”