John McPhee feels a change of strategy may be necessary at the start of the European Moto3 season after failing to build on an ex♋emplary w😼inter of testing.

The 24-year old Scot has scored just five points from the first three races, with his recent 14^th place at the Ci𓄧rcuit of the Americas a particular disappointme❀nt.

McPhee admitted he “ꦓstruggled with pace” at the third round of the season, a facet that could be down to his strategy through prese𒁃ason and free practice.

Lapping tracks alone, as he did throughout testing, McPhee feels comfortable and “fast.” But when locked in multi-rider fights, such as the one🔴 that played out in Texas, he was unable to hold his own in the midst of a Moto3 melee.

“To be completely honest I just struggled with the pace,” he said after ℱthe Grand Prix of the Americas. “When I was alone and I could do my own line and carry my own rhythm I felt fast. 🤡I think that showed when we had five laps to go.

“I made a mistake in theꦓ straight and lost the group a little bit. Then the next two or three laps I set some mid 17’s, so my rhy🍎thm was quite fast.

“But I don’t know if it’s maybe because I’ve tried to chan▨ge my strategy this year. I’ve tried to do everything alone. Even in qualifying👍 I’ve been trying to find my own rhythm and find my own pace.

“I think it’s showing that we’ve got more speed this year, and in the sessions I’m continuously more there, but whe﷽n it comes to the race and I have to fight and I have to take the tighter line and be able to pass people, I’m struggling to be able to move forward.

“So there’s definitely some work to be done, some areas I can work on. Really disappointed in my𒐪 results until now. So we just need to keep working at it and try and figure something out for Jerez.”

In Austin a number of Honda’s fanci❀ed championship challengers – Lorenzo Dalla Porta, Marcos Ramirez, Romano Fenati, Kaito Toba – also struggled to impact the top ten. Does McPhee feel this was related to his bike’s characteristics?

“In this race I think that’s why the KTMs were so strong because they seem to be able to park it🌌 up the inside of peop🐠le,” he said.

“The way the chassis is set up it’s able to stop, turn and exi🤪t, whereas I’m finding I’m having to kind of carry more🥃 fast, flowing lines, which is good for a lap time but I’m struggling with them when it comes to having to pass somebody.”

It’s worth noting, the one-time Grand Pr🌞ix winner has encountered misfortune in the first two races. An engine issue hampered acceleration in Qatar, while a midrace collision with Alonso Lopez in Argentina severed his rear brak🎃e cable, which led to a later crash.

Jerez, where McPhee lap♌ped consistently at a preseason test in February, is next up, and offers a chance to work on solutions for overtaking.

“I felt strong there in pre-season,” he said. “It’s one of them tracks, it’s probably going to be a big group again so I need to figure out this kind of thi𒀰ng that I’m needing to be able to help me pass people.

“We’ll work on it. We’ve got some ideas. We’ll work 🌠hard and try and come back stronger in Jerez.”