"Dovizioso fight with 'aggressive' Toseland"

MotoGP star Italian Andrea Dovizioso said that his main rival this season is its "aggressive" fellow newcomer James Toseland.

Dovizioso indicated that the British may be too competitive and described their rivalry as occasionally near the knuckle.

The Team Scot Jiro man has Jousten with Toseland in many of the seven races already completed, with 11 still to come in 2008, believes that the Yorkshireman and fellow Tech 3 Yamaha rival Colin Edwards as his main threat.

"[James and I have] fought many times this season - all riders this year are very close," Dovizioso, 22, told the launch for this weekend's British Grand Prix at Donington Park.

"I've been able to fight with the best runners, so I've been very happy with my season debut in MotoGP.

"James is aggressive, sometimes too aggressive. It is a challenge.

"Tech 3 is very strong and both are very experienced pilots. That is my main struggle: Yamaha and Michelin have the best package and Tech 3 bicycles similar to the factory [corridor Yamaha, Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo].

"It's hard to be friends with other brokers, because the paddock is very professional. This is our problem. We can not be friends.

"It's difficult to talk with other pilots: is not like a battle MOTORCROSS."

Toseland, 27, replied that he never crosses the line between aggression and danger still must travel at the edge if it wants to achieve something in sport.

"I was just sat next to Andrea Dovizioso for an hour and has not told me [I'm too aggressive]," he said.

"I'm aggressive, but to move from 11 to sixth you've got to be aggressive. I am not paid to start at 11 and 11 stay on, I paid closer to the front and overtake people.

"I never cross the line from being dangerous because it is a dangerous sport as it is - if you cross the line from being too aggressive, that is not on.

"I will always keep the same style, because that's the only way I know how to travel.

"You do not want to be friends with other riders in the paddock. I have my old college buddies and I am close to them and my family: the paddock is not a place for friends. They are leaving and doing business.

"We are not unsociable with each other, but I am close to go for a pizza or something like that.

"We are talking about a 10 of a second here - everyone is kept themselves to get the edge."

Dovizioso has experience of winning at Donington, something he hopes to stand him in very useful for this weekend of racing - and is glad that he decided to remain with the team, was to head for the 125cc world championship and almost 250 to a triumph on three occasions.

"I've won at Donington in the 125s and 250s and I like this circuit a lot," he added. "There is one of my favourites though - sometimes for MotoGP bikes tracks may be too small and Donington is like this.

"I wanted to go with the same team because they care about him. In the first year in MotoGP is important to gain experience with the same satellite equipment; our package is quite good so it was a good decision.

"It's important for me to win a podium with this team. That's my goal for this year, especially against these guys factory. It will be very difficult, but it could happen."