EXCLUSIVE! James Toseland talks to Eurosport from Shanghai, where he is plotting his first podium finish since switching to MotoGP.

'I arrived in Shanghai on Tuesday and I'm blown away by the facilities here. The track looks amazing - it's one of the best circuits I have been to. It looks like the race will be taken off the calendar, and I think that's a real shame.

As with Estoril last time, it is a new track for me. This is a really tough stretch as it will be five 'unknown' tracks in a row, with Le Mans, Mugello and Catalunya to come. It will be nice to bring that run to an end on home tarmac at Donington in June.

Although I showed in Portugal I can hold my own, qualifying on the second row, it is still a significant disadvantage against the guys who have been here before.

It is relatively easy to learn the basics, but you get a better feel for the track and learn things every time you go out, and for that there is no substitute for experience. I just have to get out there and put in as many laps as possible in practice.

This track was designed for Formula One and as a result it has the longest straight that we race on all year.

The upgraded pneumatic engine package has given us as much power as our rivals which is a good thing. If there's one track where you need horsepower, it's this one.

The weather forecast predicts rain over the weekend, which would be my first experience of a wet race in MotoGP.

Strangely, we very rarely had wet races when I was in World Superbikes - maybe half a dozen or so in seven years. My record is not bad; I've had some podiums but also fallen off a couple of times!

I know that the bike is capable of a podium finish and I'm determined to put myself in contention.

Although I am happy with my performances so far I am used to winning from my days in Superbikes and it's hard for me not to punish myself when I finish sixth or seventh.

At Portugal I signed a contract extension with Tech3 Yamaha for next year. It was a big surprise because the deal was only meant to come up for renegotiation in September.

But team boss Herve Poncharal came to me and my manager and said he wanted to get it done early in the season.

It is great that the team are prepared to put faith in me and that I have got job security. I think I have opened a few people's eyes but I know I can't relax and have to keep making progress.

Another rookie, Jorge Lorenzo, is joint top in the driver's standings, and I have to say he has done a fantastic job.

Three consecutive pole positions and podiums in every race is amazing for anybody, let alone a rider in his first season. He's Spain's answer to Lewis Hamilton!

Lorenzo has an advantage over me in terms of adapting to MotoGP, as he is a two-time 250cc world champion.

The riding style and the lines you take in 250s is much closer to MotoGP compared with Superbikes, and he also has all the track knowledge. But I don't want to take anything away from what he has achieved so far.

It was good to see some more British sporting success in the Champions League this week with Manchester United and Chelsea going through.

It just shows you how strong our league is, and although there are obviously a lot of foreign players in both teams, it was nice to see the likes of Paul Scholes and Frank Lampard come to the fore.

I don't have particular loyalty to either side, but being a Northern lad from Sheffield, I'd quite like to see Manchester United put the Southerners in their place!'

James Toseland was talking to Alex Chick / Eurosport