Toseland explains qualifying falls.

By Mike Nicks

James Toseland admitted after crashing twice in the closing minutes of qualifying for the British MotoGP today that he may have made a mistake in swapping his tyre in a final bid to secure a decent starting position.

"I came in with five minutes to go and changed tyres," he said after the wet one-hour qualifying session. "But maybe I should have stayed out on the tyre I was already running."

With three minutes of qualifying remaining, JT was still only around 13th fastest on the Tech 3 Yamaha. Trying to hike his way further up the grid, he lost the bike on the exit from Goddards corner on the entrance to the finishing straight. He remounted, but then crashed again at Schwantz.

"I didn't make the most of the best qualifying tyre that I had," he said. "I tried to push too hard on a tyre that wasn't right for the job. I tried too hard and paid the price for it. I'm really disappointed to have my worst qualifying session of the year at my home GP."

Now Toseland - who hoped to score his first MotoGP podium at Donington - will have to struggle from the sixth and last row in the 30-lap race.

Bradley Smith also crashed twice on his Polaris World Aprilia in the final 125cc qualifying session, and will start from the third row, one row ahead of Danny Webb.

So the honour of the being Britain's best starter in tomorrow's three grand prix races falls to 15-year-old Scott Redding, who goes from the front row in the 125cc race.