James Toseland is confident he can be competitive in MotoGP as he prepares for the second race of the season at Jerez.
The 27-year-old made a stunning start to his career in grand prix racing by qualifying in second spot for the opening race in Qatar and grabbing a sixth-placed finish aboard his Tech 3 Yamaha.
Toseland is aiming to be the first British rider to win a premier class grand prix in nearly 30 years and is hoping for another bright display in Spain this weekend.
He said: "The race in Qatar made me realise it's possible for me to be competitive at this level.
"In Qatar the bike just lacked a bit of grunt but I'm hopeful I will get the new engine by the third round at Estoril in Portugal.
"I've already tested the MotoGP Yamaha at Jerez and I'm really looking forward to carrying on where I left off in Qatar."
Reigning world champion Casey Stoner followed up his dominant 2007 with another impressive win at Losail earlier this month and is confident of another victory on his Marlboro Ducati.
The 22-year-old Australian endured a rare off day at Jerez last season, finishing just fifth, but is hopeful that this season will be different.
He said: "You could say that Jerez last year wasn't one of our best races, but winter testing went well there and with the general improvements we've made since last year I think we can be competitive.
"There are a lot of riders who have started the season strongly, especially the rookies, amongst them riders who will want more of the same and riders racing at home, so they'll be very motivated.
"We just have to try and make sure we do our job well and then try to achieve the best result possible."
In the 125cc race teenager Bradley Smith is hoping to bounce back from an ultimately disappointing race in Qatar to get back to his pre-season pace in Jerez.
The 17-year-old took pole under the lights of Losail but a broken steering damper ruined his chances of a win and he eventually finished in 16th place.
However, Smith broke the lap record at Jerez in testing earlier this year on his Polaris World Aprilia and is confident of being back at the front.
He said: "Despite having to ride catch up after scoring no points in Qatar we are taking all the positives from that opening weekend.
"I led all the practice and qualifying sessions and also the race. I've also led the two pre-season testing sessions at Jerez this year and so we are going into the race with plenty of confidence and just looking for that change of luck."
Fellow British teenagers Scott Redding and Danny Webb will be aiming to carry on from their excellent fifth and sixth-placed finishes respectively from the opening round.
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