Tech 3 Yamaha is the only team not testing at Valencia this week, but Herve Poncharal's team at least finished the 2008 MotoGP season on a high when Colin Edwards and James Toseland snatched fourth position in the teams' championship on Sunday.

The 15-point haul collected by Edwards and Toseland saw the Tech 3 squad seize fourth by a single point from the factory Rizla Suzuki team. Tech 3 was also the highest placed satellite outfit in the final standings.

Despite something of a mid-season slump, shared to a greater or lesser degree by most Michelin teams, Tech 3 was one of the success stories of 2008 - its all-new rider line-up and switch from Dunlop to Michelin tyres, combined with Yamaha's much-improved YZR-M1, producing a dramatic upturn in form.

Tech 3 scored just 88 points during the 2007 championship, but finished 2008 with 249 points, aided by two podiums for Edwards, who also finished seventh in the final standings.

Edwards concluded the 18-round season with a sixth place finish at Valencia, his best result since third place at June's Dutch TT.

"It has been a while since I finished in the top six and for this result to help the team finish fourth in the Teams' World Championship makes it extra rewarding," said Edwards. "I'm pleased for Herve Poncharal and the team because they deserve it. We had a couple of races where we gave a lot of points away, but for an independent team we have done a fantastic job together and it was a year to remember.

"I'd like to thank all my guys for their hard work throughout the season and to Yamaha for their continued support. Finally I'd like to say a big thanks to Michelin. I had the greatest moments of my career with them and I've enjoyed our time together. I'm looking forward to a bit of a break now before coming back in Jerez next month to begin working as hard as ever for 2009."

Toseland closed his rookie campaign with a hard fought eleventh position. The Briton shadowed factory Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo for the opening fifteen laps in a close dice just outside of the top ten, momentarily passing the Spaniard on two occasions before suffering grip problems in the closing stages.

With fourth in the teams' title on the line, a determined Toseland dug deep to hold off Sylvain Guintoli, Chris Vermeulen, John Hopkins and Randy de Puniet by less than 1.5sec as he took the chequered flag in eleventh.