Tech 3 Yamaha duo reflect on difficult day
Sunday, 13 July 2008
Toseland takes eleventh in Sachsenring whilst Edwards crashes out.
James Toseland and Colin Edwards both had some serious rear grip problems at the Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, with the latter crashing out alter one push too many at the end of the downhill section. Both will be hoping for better results when they head to a familiar track –Laguna Seca- next week.
James Toseland – Eleventh
`That was my first wet MotoGP race and I´ve got to admit that while I feel I´ve learned a lot, it was a difficult afternoon. I got an unbelievable start and at the first corner I was fifth and nearly took fourth. I thought I was in business but pretty much straightaway I knew it was going to be difficult to try and go away with the leading group. I had a couple of moments on the opening lap and I started losing places quite quickly. The frustrating thing was I couldn´t do anything to respond. I didn´t want to push too hard because I´d seen Jorge Lorenzo crash in front of me, so I knew I wasn't the only one struggling for rear grip. I think that coupled with a lack of experience of riding this bike in the rain made it tough. I kind of just got stuck at the pace I was running and couldn´t really go any faster. I´m not going to blame anybody because I´m having a bit of a bad period but a positive from the weekend is I feel we have taken some big strides with the set-up of the bike. I was only half-a-second off the front row and I was fourth in the warm-up, so it has not been a bad weekend. We have eliminated a lot of problems and the team has done a great job, so I am looking forward to getting back closer to where I know I am capable of being and the team is capable of being at Laguna Seca. It is a track I know well, and I go there in a positive frame of mind as always despite having this tough run.´
Colin Edwards – DNF
`All I can is it was a very tough race right from the start. The conditions were not easy but I got a reasonable start and just wanted to get into a steady pace. But it was obvious from quite early on that it was going to be difficult. I didn´t have a lot of feel from the rear tyre and I tried everything I could to hang in there and keep a top five finish for the team, who have been great all weekend. It would have also kept my own personal good run going. But as the race wore on it wasn´t getting any better and I lost the rear at the downhill left-hander. I had no warning at all and I didn´t feel I was particularly pushing too hard because by that stage a podium had already gone. I was trying to keep Dovizioso behind me to at least finish top Michelin rider. I´d tried to follow Casey and Valentino but I just didn´t have anything for them. Fifth was going to be the best result I could have managed today and that´s a bit disappointing because in the dry I think I could have been fighting for a podium. I´m just grateful I didn´t get hurt in the crash because I´ve got my home race coming up and I desperately want to put on a good performance for the American fans, Tech 3 and Yamaha at Laguna Seca. After this disappointment I´ll be looking to bounce straight back.´
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