MOTOGP » JAMES TOSELAND
CAREER
Of the four 2008 MotoGP rookies, James Toseland was the only one not to have raced in 125 or 250GP, but the reigning double World Superbike champion made an instant impact by qualifying a (valve-spring) Tech 3 Yamaha second on the grid for his MotoGP debut at Qatar.
Toseland finished the race in sixth, a position he repeated five further times in 2008, with his highlight of the year a thrilling ride at the Australian Grand Prix, when he became one of the few riders to fight back and re-pass Valentino Rossi this season.
The low point of Toseland's season was surely a turn one accident at his home British GP, an event that marked the start of a difficult run of races, and Toseland finished the season eleventh in the championship with 105 points from the 18 races.
That meant an average of 5.8 points per race, which compares as follows with fellow World Superbike champions Troy Bayliss, Colin Edwards and Neil Hodgson during their first MotoGP season: Bayliss 8 points per race average (2003), Edwards 3.9 points per race average (2003) and Hodgson 2.4 points per race average (2004). Nicky Hayden, who arrived in MotoGP as the AMA Superbike champion, scored 8.1 points per race average in 2003.
With the knowledge gained from his debut season, Toseland will be aiming to be a regular podium contender in 2009, when he will remain at Tech 3 Yamaha alongside Colin Edwards.
Toseland arrived in MotoGP as a double World Superbike champion, having won the 2004 crown for Ducati and 2007 title for Ten Kate Honda.
The Briton snatched the 2004 championship under dramatic circumstances during a tense title showdown at the Magny-Cours season finale, in which he overcame home hero and team-mate Regis Laconi to become the first champion of the single tyre era.
Toseland remained with Ducati for 2005, but endured a tough title defence (not helped by a huge pre-season testing highside and ever more competitive four-cylinder machines) and didn’t finish on the podium until round four. The highlight of his season was a home victory at Silverstone but he was unable to win again and finished the year fifth in championship with seven podiums. He and team-mate Laconi were then replaced by Troy Bayliss and Lorenzo Lanzi for 2006.
With Chris Vermeulen moving to MotoGP for 2006, Toseland gratefully accepted the Australian's Winston Ten Kate Honda ride, then rebuilt his reputation with a breakthrough season – in which he finished second only to dominant champion Troy Bayliss. The Englishman took three wins from 12 podiums, opening up the chance of a MotoGP ride with d'Antin Ducati for 2007. Toseland reluctantly turned the ride down and committed his immediate future to WSBK, Ten Kate and most importantly Honda, with whom he eventually hoped to enter MotoGP - preferably as a double World Superbike champion in 2008.
Toseland’s second and final year at Ten Kate Honda began with 2-1 race finishes at the Qatar season opener and, while his rivals produced on/off rides during the first half of the season, Toseland finished off the podium just twice in 12 races to take a solid title lead.
Yamaha's Noriyuki Haga and star rookie Max Biaggi then fought back during the second half of the season - when Toseland suffered some accidents and misfortune - and the last round began with the top three riders - Toseland, Biaggi and Haga - covered by 33 points. Bayliss had been ruled out of the title fight by injury.
Toseland, desperate to leave WSBK as a double world champion, proved his nerve by winning his final Superpole appearance - but saw all his advantage undone after tangling with Lorenzo Lanzi at turn one of race one. In what was close to a worse case scenario, Toseland went spearing off track but - with his heart in his mouth - managed to keep his Honda on two wheels and rejoin at the back of the field.
James went on to fight his way up to seventh, just one place behind an off-form Biaggi, while Haga took the win. The world title thus came down to the final race of the year, which Toseland began 17 points clear of Haga. The Yamaha star was on peerless form at Magny-Cours, duly winning race two for his second double of the season, but a safe sixth place for Toseland gave him the world crown by just two points.
From the 25 races, Toseland took 8 wins, 14 podiums and 2 pole positions. A long overdue first double victory was claimed in front of his home fans at Brand Hatch, where he also announced a move to MotoGP in 2008 with Tech 3 Yamaha.
Toseland, a former trials rider who overcame family problems and injury early in his career, had claimed his first WSBK win with HM Plant Ducati during 2003, when he finished third in the championship behind factory Ducati riders Neil Hodgson and Ruben Xaus, propelling him into a factory Ducati seat for 2004.
