The 27-year-old Kiveton Park racer finished sixth under the floodlights at the Dosail track.

He turned a few heads 24 hours earlier by qualifying in second and after holding steady in that position in the early part of the 22-lap race, he tailed off to finish just seconds behind superstar Valentino Rossi.

By the time of the third round at Estoril in Portugal, Toseland's Yamaha Tech3 team will be using a pneumatic valve engine like the one the Yamaha factory riders Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo are benefitting from.

But for now, Toseland is just looking forward to taking what he learned at Qatar into the second meeting at Jerez in two weeks time.

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"To start off with this result is just great for me," said the two-time World Superbike champion.

"I gave it my best shot. For my first race to be just behind Valentino on the same bike is surreal."

"When the new engine comes we can be more competitive."

"I've realised now that with everybody's support, which I'm getting from the Tech3 team, Yamaha and Michelin, it is possible to be competitive."

He added: "The first couple of laps were pretty hectic and I put a move on Jorge (Lorrenzo) that was quite close."

"That's just a lack of experience racing against these guys."

"I've raced against the same boys for seven years and know exactly what they do and when they do it."

"I've just got to get used to how these guys take the corners so I can pass them a bit safer. But Jorge left the door open a bit and I went for it."

"There was no harm done and after that I was trying everything I had to pass Andrea and Valentino."

Toseland demonstrated his fearless power by setting the fifth fastest lap despite being left staring at the rear tyres of the riders he was chasing down the long straights.

He added: "I was catching up fractions of time all lap and I'd just get with them at the last corner and they'd stretch away from me on the straight."

"There is nobody bad on the brakes so you can't catch it up really. You can chip away and chip away but the times I got close they were side-by-side and it was like a wall for me."

"And I wasn't prepared to take two of them out in my first MotoGP with sixth place in the bag."

"What you learn in 22 laps around these guys is priceless and I can't wait for Jerez," he added.