Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Ryan Villopoto has vowed to improve at this weekend’s second round of the 2015 MXGP World Championship at Nakhonchaisri Thailand.

The legendary current American Supercross champion had a baptism of fire at Qatar’s opening MXGP round last Saturday evening, eventually salvaging seventh overall despite an eventful opening moto that saw him fight back from the rear of the field.

The 26-year-old stalled on the start line and crashed twice during the moto, but soldiered back to ninth. His start in moto two was far better inside the top 10, before racing to eighth with a damaged rear brake.

“I haven’t raced since May last year and it wasn’t a good day, but we scored points and that’s definitively something we have to work on,” Villopoto said. “I never had a schedule like that one for a long time, but I’ve got to get used to that and all the rest, including how the gate drops, how they do everything.

“We struggled a little bit with the start today, a little me and a little the bike, but we came back and got points. We’ve definitively some work to do, but that’s part of it. We learned a lot this weekend and will be stronger at the next GP – we have to work on set-up stuff, which make things a little bit easier.

“For me every time I went on the track this weekend things went better. In the second race I had some issues as my rear brake felt strange, I don’t know if it’s a rock or what, but it’s part of the deal. We can make some stuff this week, even if the team doesn’t go back home and we will be better next weekend.”

To watch highlights from Villopoto’s fulltime grand prix debut, click this link including an entertaining battle with Aussie duo Todd Waters and Dean Ferris.