Pedrosa: I need to improve.

Finishing 0.3secs behind race winner and reigning world champion Valentino Rossi would be an honour for most people, but Dani Pedrosa says he needs to improve his overtaking skills after dropping to fourth in the closing stages of Sunday's German Grand Prix.

Starting from his fourth pole position in only his tenth MotoGP race, Pedrosa believes he had the speed to win the race - and indeed set the fastest lap of the race - but was shuffled to the tail of the four-man lead group after struggling to pass Rossi, Marco Melandri and team-mate Nicky Hayden in the closing stages of a thrilling race.

The Repsol Honda rookie was visibly slower into the downhill left hander near the end of the lap - the main overtaking area - after falling heavily at that spot on Saturday morning. The accident seemed to unsurprisingly affect his confidence into that crucial corner, costing him positions - and limiting his overtaking opportunities - during the race.

But it wasn't all bad news as Dani found a useful inside line through the tight twists that start the lap - surprising both Hayden and Melandri as dived alongside - but Nicky wasn't going to let it happen twice and held firm, despite Pedrosa's front wheel rubbing against his leg, when Dani tried to repeat the move late in the race.

"It was a good race between all four riders at the front but unfortunately I finished at the back of the group, so of course I feel a little bit disappointed," confessed the Spaniard. "I was quick for most of the lap except in the downhill corner near the end of the lap where I was losing too much time.

"I will have to improve myself in the overtaking places because I tried hard in this race to not be overtaken and also to overtake the others, but it was not quite enough. I think I was actually faster than the others, however I wasn't able to get to the front and that's why I couldn't show my true speed today. Still, the season is going well and I'm pretty happy with most of my performance today," he declared.

Pedrosa has now dropped from second to third in the world championship standings, 3 points from Rossi and 29 points behind Hayden.