Tech 3 'worried for Ellison'.

With the MotoGP World Championship now entering the second half of the 2006 season, Tech 3 Yamaha team manager Herve Poncharal is getting increasingly worried about the relative pace of James Ellison compared to team-mate Carlos Checa.

Ellison was 19th and last in both of Friday's free practice sessions in Germany - while Checa was 10th and 12th to finish the day 1.7secs ahead of his team-mate. However, unlike Checa, Ellison is yet to receive the new M1 chassis, but Poncharal remains concerned.

"I am worried for James," he said. "To be last is not good and the (Dunlop) tyres have improved so much. We have to find some speed because it is now over halfway through the season and it is very important and crucial for him to be quicker."

"From one round to the next the bike changes so much and you have to start from scratch all over again," explained James. "The twists of the second split are the best bit for me at the moment, but the fast bits where you dab the brake and let it run in, it just vibrates and there is no stability.

"I tried a wider rim today that seems to help but it makes it harsh, although it improves the corner entry and that gives me more confidence. What we need to do now is go back a bit to a softer tyre as because the rim is wider the tyre is a lot stronger and there is no give in it.

"I know we are a bit off Carlos at the moment but this afternoon we are near the time he was doing this morning so we are really a session behind. I think we will find a good direction now we have the new front tyre. We were so far off this morning and losing time with the wet track that this afternoon was really our first session. We made steps in this afternoon's session so I think tomorrow will be a lot better," he insisted.

Ellison's best finish so far this season is a ninth place at Catalunya.