Althea Honda World Superbike rider Tommy Hill has also voiced his concerns over the life of Pirelli tyres after losing grip in the middle of both Phillip Island races last weekend.

The former British Superbike rider has joined Stiggy Honad's Leon Haslam in his concerns about the tyres, with Haslam saying the soft compund front he ran in race one being "totally fried" come the chequered flag.

"I was able to overtake some riders but from the middle of the race I had to reduce my rhythm because the tyres lost a lot of grip," said Hill. "It was difficult for me to find the right race pace also because my tyres did not work properly (in race two)  and every time I tried to push a little bit harder I lost the front and I risked a crash."

The youngster still managed two 14th places after being sidelined through injury since 2007. Hill twice broke his femur in a testing and then a racing crash but, after the Phillip Island meeting, he is looking forward to Qatar next weekend.

"It was a consistent start of the season and I’m happy with my results and with the help of my technicians, for sure we’ll be more competitive in the next race at Qatar."