James Toseland has never been your normal motorcycle racer. He readily admits to waving to his lucky tree as he drives down the M1, has resisted the overtures of a tattooist friend to cover him in ink and played a self-composed jazz piano piece at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards evening. He wanted to sing, too, but they drew the line at that.

Now the multi-tasker is joining the elite and the big news is that he is not in MotoGP to make up the numbers and top up the pension fund.

It was the final test of the winter that made people take notice. MotoGP tends to treat World Superbikes with a snobbish disdain, but the two-time champion of the lesser series was second fastest under lights in Doha on his Tech 3 Yamaha last week and is back for tomorrow's Qatar Grand Prix in a frame of mind infused by expectation rather than hope.

“I exceeded my expectations of what I thought was possible years ago,” he said. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think this would all be possible. I could have stayed in World Superbikes and kept on winning, no problem. I had a great life, a great career. I'd walk down the paddock and it would be, like, ‘hi, hi, hi, hi, hi'. Here I get two. It's different, but it was time.”

Britain has had a riotous love affair with World Superbikes. Carl Fogarty won the title five times, urinated in his rival's hot tub, kept pot-bellied pigs and became a legend. Neil Hodgson won the title but suffered a torrid time when he tried to move to GPs. The same went for Superbikes riders such as Shakey Byrne, Chris Walker and Leon Haslam.

Toseland's times and the fact that he is on a good bike suggest that this time it could be different. Already his profile has gone through the roof after his scene-stealing turn on the BBC, in which he rode down a ramp on his bike and then went into jazz mode.

“That was bloody nerve-racking,” he said. “I was telling myself, ‘Don't fall off or do a Les Dawson on the piano.' The funny thing is I was tenth in the voting and went up to second afterwards - I nearly won an award for playing the piano, forget the world title.”

He met Lewis Hamilton, the Formula One prodigy, that night and believes that he can achieve the same sort of alchemy in MotoGP. “Lewis did a fantastic job and showed how it's possible for one man to raise a sport's profile,” Toseland said. “Even I watch Formula One because of Lewis. If I could do the same then great. You get the comparison with Barry Sheene, but that was 30 years ago and we've not done much since.”

Beating Valentino Rossi, the five-time champion, in testing was a psychological boost, although Casey Stoner and the Ducati are the combination to beat this season. Rossi, on the Fiat Yamaha, will be in the shake-up as he seeks to end a two-year title drought, but he will face pressure from Jorge Lorenzo, his putative team-mate. Although riding under the same banner, there is a dividing wall down the garage and Rossi has demanded Bridgestone tyres to boost his hopes.

Nevertheless, Rossi remains the undisputed megastar of MotoGP, rich enough to shrug off a £26million tax bill as a good result and mobbed wherever he goes. “I admire him for his success and the ability, but he's not out of reach,” Toseland said.

The potential British renaissance extends to the 125cc World Championship, in which Bradley Smith, the 17-year-old, is a contender for the title. Smith has been groomed for the top by Alberto Puig, the sport's top talent-spotter, and impressed last season for Repsol Honda. He has moved to Aprilia, the bike that dominates the class, and topped the tests in Qatar last week. “I cannot even tell you how excited I am this season,” he said. “I can hardly sleep. I have got to be looking at regular podiums now.”

While Rossi tries to prove he is still the greatest natural talent, Stoner intends to ram the words of his critics down their throats after they claimed that his Ducati gave him a huge advantage. Stoner had a bad crash at the end of last year that left him with a damaged shoulder, but he said that it will not hinder his title defence.

Toseland can hope to be in the top five at various races and an occasional podium finish is a possibility. There is no air of satisfaction at having made it into GPs, just a desire to battle with the best. “I never ever think I've made it,” he said. “I don't understand that way of thinking, it just doesn't register. I'm just doing something I love and I know I'm fortunate.”

There will be seven circuits Toseland has not been to before, but he is phlegmatic about the prospect of racing under lights in Qatar tomorrow night. If it goes to plan, the BBC may let him sing next time.

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