De Angelis says he learned from errors

The Italian's team boss Fausto Gresini had been highly critical after de Angelis crashed on the opening lap in the Netherlands, so in wet conditions at the Sachsenring the 250cc graduate rode deliberately conservatively in the early stages before picking up his pace.

De Angelis then charged forward and nearly managed to beat Chris Vermeulen to the final podium spot.

"Today I did what I should have done in Assen too: go slowly for the first two laps, understand what the situation is like, and then go quick step by step," de Angelis told Italia1 television. "My quickest lap was my last one, so it's good, and the next time will be even better."

He added that he had actually been slightly disappointed not to continue the run of Sachsenring podiums that he had begun in the junior classes.

"In this first race in the wet, I couldn't ask for more.," de Angelis said. "But it's clear that after going for six consecutive years on the podium here, I would have liked to carry on.

"However, this was a flawless race, so we can leave happy. Maybe in the dry we might have aimed for the podium, but definitely not in the wet. It's a surprise for me too."