Toseland switches to MotoGP with Yamaha

Britain's top racing motorcyclist James Toseland yesterday announced that he will quit the world superbike championship to ride alongside MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi on a factory Yamaha in 2008.

Toseland, 26, will ride for the French Tech3 team on an 800cc Yamaha YZR-M1 in motorcycling's equivalent of Formula One.

"The easy decision would be to stay in world superbikes and keep winning," said Toseland, who leads this year's championship by 43 points with his Ten Kate Honda and first took the title in 2004 for Ducati.

"But this is about the next challenge. We have not had a British rider on top in MotoGP since the great Barry Sheene. I won't lie down until I have achieved that."

Toseland will enter MotoGP at the relatively late age of 27, but Yamaha are clearly convinced that he can make a strong contribution to their two MotoGP teams, which field four riders. Rossi competes in the Fiat Yamaha squad with the American, Colin Edwards.

Toseland announced his departure from world superbikes just four days before he competes in the British round of the series at Brands Hatch.