Queenslander Todd Waters will shoot for a top 10 result when the second round of the MXGP World Championship is hosted in Thailand this weekend.

Waters salvaged 11th overall in Qatar on Sunday despite a sizable qualifying crash, which almost ruled the Red Bull Ice One Racing Husqvarna rider out of proceedings altogether.

A timid 14th in moto one proved a solid platform for Waters to build from, improving to a gutsy 11th in the second moto in his official MXGP debut.

“It’s been a rough start to my MXGP career,” Waters reflected. “I had a massive crash during qualification and was lucky not to get injured. Coming through the wave section the rider in front of me made a mistake and I had to take avoiding action, resulting in one of the biggest crashes I’ve had in a long time.

“I was quite beat up after it, but was determined to compete in my first ever MXGP race. In race one I was still hurting but toughed out a 14th place result. I felt a bit better for race two but was struggling with confidence in the track.

“Finishing 11th overall was a good improvement. Hopefully next weekend things will go smoother and I can finish inside the top 10 like I know I’m capable of.”

Waters will be the lone factory Husqvarna rider on track this weekend at Si Racha, with teammate Tyla Rattray sidelined for at least three weeks recovering from a fractured finger.