Qatar MotoGP: Colin Edwards backs James Toseland to shine

Colin Edwards has praised fellow double World Superbike champion and Tech 3 Yamaha team-mate James Toseland on the eve of the new MotoGP world championship.

After the British rider’s morale-boosting finish to winter testing in Qatar last week when he was a close second behind Jorge Lorenzo, the Texan said even he was surprised at Toseland’s night pace after the 27-year-old came close to topping the timesheets.

Colin Edwards told MCN: “James has really come on strong at the last couple of tests and he’s learning fast.

“I know what he’s feeling. In my first year in MotoGP when I was on the Aprilia I finished second at the Jerez test.

“It doesn’t matter what the bike is doing, you’re just going out there to show these guys that you can race. James is doing exactly the same.

“He’s out there to show he can put it on the top step and I see in him the same attitude when I first came where there’s a bit more risk involved.

“I shouldn’t say he’s surprised me because we all know he’s s a good rider but that 54.5 he did last week was a little surprising.”