James Toseland unhappy after dismal first day

British rider James Toseland admitted he was bitterly unhappy as he kicked off the Valencia GP – the final race of his rookie premier class campaign – down in 16th place.

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The Tech 3 Yamaha rider was 11th in this morning’s torrential rain but slipped down to 16th overall at the end of the opening day of free practice run on a treacherously slippery track.

Toseland clocked a best time of 1.48.771 and he said he needed to make significant steps with rear grip.

The 28-year-old said: ““It was a tough day and we’ve got to find something to improve because the forecasts are for more rain tomorrow, and I need to find a bit more from the bike.

“I just didn’t have a very good feeling and I’m not happy, but I’ve got some ideas. In those greasy conditions I just haven’t got enough feel from the rear and we need to find a lot more contact with the rear tyre. It feels a bit like riding around on eggshells at the moment. I’m not too far away but I’ve definitely got to make a step with the direction I think will work.

“I just need more weight on the rear to give me more confidence. This track is always tricky in the wet. When it is heavy rain, everybody has a respect for the place because they know how easy it is to get caught out. But when it is drying out it doesn’t give more grip, even though there is less water on the surface.

“People get sucked into thinking they can go faster and you don’t get any warning before you get a big slide. This wasn’t the start I wanted with tenth place in the championship to battle for on Sunday, but I’m confident we can make some big improvements.”