Old hands new machines:

Valentino Rossi:

From: Ducati Team To: Yamaha Factory Racing

After spending a torrid two-year tenure with Ducati, Valentino Rossi returns to Yamaha, a team with whom he won four championship titles. The Doctor will have a lot to prove as his critics had blasted him for failing to adapt on the Ducati where he finished in seventh and sixth position in 2011-12 season respectively. Rossi has made a good start on the M1 and finished in the top four at the pre-season test in Sepang. If the test times are something to go by expect the Italian rider to fight for the championship title where his main rival will be his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo.

Andrea Dovizioso:

From: Monster Yamaha Tech 3 To: Ducati Team

Andrea Dovizioso shifted to Italian outfit Ducati, after having a satisfying season with satellite Yamaha Tech 3 where he finished the season in fourth place. It will not be an easy task for Dovizioso who replaces eight-time champion Valentino Rossi at his new team. Ducati had a very disappointing season in 2012 and will be hoping to get back to winning ways with Dovizioso. Judging from the test times it seems that the Bologna-based team has a lot of improvements to do and it will be interesting to see how well and quickly the Italian adapts to the GP13.

Ben Spies :

From: Yamaha Factory Racing To: Pramac Racing Team

Ben Spies made his move to Parmac Ducati after spending four years with Yamaha. Spies had a disappointing season by his standards as he finished the season in 10th place. It was frustrating seasons for the American as he was completely outshined by his teammate, Jorge Lorenzo who went on to win the championship. A crash at Sepang meant he was ruled out for the remainder of the season and to add to his woes and was replaced by Valentino Rossi at Yamaha for 2013 season. At Pramac he will be joined by MotoGP debutant Andrea Iannone and it will be intriguing how he fares up against his young teammate.

Hector Barbera:

From: Pramac Racing Team To: Avintia Blusens

Having replaced by Ben Spies at Pramac Ducati, Hector Barbera was signed by Avintia Blusens for the 2013 season. Though he had satisfying run in 2012, finishing the season in 11th position, it wouldn't be the same for the Spanish rider with his new team. He will have to alter his riding style to get accustomed to the CRT machines which are considerably slower than the factory machines and it will be difficult for him to repeat his last season performance. The only target for Barbera will be to finish the season as the top CRT rider so that he gets a better seats next season.

Karel Abraham:

From: Ducati Desmosedici GP12 To: Aprilia ART

In the game of MotoGP musical chairs, where riders swap teams in hopes of better results, the Cardion AB Motoracing team decided to retain their rider, Karel Abraham but instead switched from the troubled Ducati of last year to the impressive ART Aprilia machinery for 2013. The trouble-ridden Ducati has been struggling in the MotoGP and much like other Ducati-powered riders, Karel Abraham too faced a hard time adapting on the Italian machne last season astride the GP12. The Czech-rider had a dissapointing run in 2012 finishing the season in a distant 14th position in the standings. Only time will tell if the outfit's fortunes change for better or worse after having switched to Aprilia from Ducati.

Up the ranks

Marc Marquez:

From: Team Catalunya Caixa Repsol To: Repsol Honda Team

Rookie rider, Marc Marquez will have a lot of hard work to do as he steps into some pretty big shoes of Casey Stoner whom he replaces at Repsol Honda. Marquez, the reigning Moto2 champion impressed one and all at the pre-season tests in Sepang where he finished in top three behind Jorge Lorenzo and teammate Dani Pedrosa. The young Spanish rider has the talent and the machine to win the championship, but wether he can handle the pressure on race day only time will tell. But we feel he has a very bright future in MotoGP.

Andrea Iannone:

From: Speed Master Team To: Pramac Racing Team

For his consistent performance in Moto2, Andrea Iannone finally got rewarded with a seat in MotoGP as he was signed by Pramac Ducati. Iannone isn't new to the premier class bikes as he had tested for Parmac in 2011. At the pre-season test in Sepang the young rider was able to set times which were less than a second adrift from his accomplished teammate Nicky Hayden. How quickly he adapts to the GP13 will be key to his performance this season and his main objective will be to beat his teammate.

Bradley Smith:

From: Tech 3 To: Monster Yamaha Tech 3

Bradley Smith will be the third rider to join the premier class from Moto2. Smith has been signed by Tech3 Yamaha in MotoGp for whom he raced in Moto2. The young British rider made an impressive start to his MotoGP career as he finished in top 10 at the pre-season test. Snith has the machine which can earn hima few podium finish this season. Whether or not he can handle the pressure of race remains to be seen. Also his teammate Cal crutchlow has shown impressive pace in the test and it will be exciting to see how he performs against him.

Project 46 helmet:

Apart from the Ducati GP12 for the 2012 pre-season testing, Rossi had a new AGV prototype helmet which was free of the usual Rossi graphics and was finished in bare carbon fibre. The Italian debuted the same 'Project 46' helmet with colours and graphics in the first race of the season at Qatar. The helmet was literally built around Rossi with the help of a biometric scan of his head and face to ensure that it fitted better. AGV was also able to increase the air flow by an incredible 193 per cent. Further the field of vision and aerodynamics were also improved. AGV also manufacturerd just 100 helmets without any sponsor logos as a collectors items for Rossi fans.

Marco Simoncelli tribute helmet:

For the first official pre-season testing of 2012 at Sepang, Rossi returned to the track where he had lost his friend Marco Simoncelli in 2011. For him, Simoncelli was not just another rider but more like a 'brother' and he wore a special helmet as a tribute to him. According to the veteran the helmet that was designed by Aldo Drudi is a blend of Simoncelli's helmet and his own lid. The helmet featured the deceased rider's trademark red and white stripes at the front, which blend to give way for Rossi's 'Elements' design at the rear. The helmet also features Simoncelli's iconic number 58 above the visor.

Mugello helemet sporting Gianni Morandi:

Keeping his Mugello tradition alive, Rossi used a special design helmet for his home race sporting famous Italian singer, Gianni Morandi on his lid. Morandi who is a singer, actor and television host is considered as one of the cornerstones of Italian music. The phrase, "Restiamo Uniti" (let's stick together), is a 'motto' that was made famous by Morandi, when directing his staff on the stage at the Sanremo Festival. The flowers are a characteristic feature of the Sanremo Festival as the city is known as the City of Flowers. Also on the helmet is a line from one of Morandi's famous song "Fatti mandare dalla mamma a prendere il latte" which means have your mother send you to pick up some milk.

In a championship that everyone thought would go down to the wire, Jorge Lorenzo sealed the 2012 MotoGP riders' title at the Australian GP at Philip Island, with one more race to go in Valencia. With the gap between Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa at 23 points before the start of the Australian GP, the last two races of the season, Philip Island and Valencia, were going to be crucial in deciding who would take home the champion's crown. But all that changed in Australia when on the second lap itself, Pedrosa, unable to handle the pressure of Casey Stoner and Lorenzo right up his chuff, crashed out of the race, which meant that as long as Lorenzo finished with more than two points, he would seal the fate of the championship in his favour right there. And that's exactly what happened as Lorenzo finished the race in second place behind Stoner.

Of course, barring this bit of luck, it wasn't like Lorenzo hadn't done much through the season. The Spaniard pretty much dominated most of the season taking home six wins so far and he didn't even finish lower than second place except once in Assen when he was taken out on the first lap itself by a crashing Hector Barbera. It was this consistence that Lorenzo displayed throughout the season that won him the 2012 title andndash; his second MotoGP world championship. Lorenzo's main rivals this year were just two other riders, Pedrosa and Stoner, both riding for the Repsol Honda factory team. Stoner's challenge failed to come together when he suffered a terrible crash in Indianapolis back in August, which kept him away for three whole races.

After Stoner's misfortune, Pedrosa stepped up to the plate and in the six rounds from Indianapolis to Malaysia, took five wins. But his DNF in the San Marino GP (once again thanks to Barbera) helped Lorenzo keep his advantage in the championship standings. With the 2012 championship in the bag, Lorenzo is certain to expect much tougher competition in 2013 thanks to new regulations which will come into play next year and also the thanks to the fact that the Spaniard will be once again paired up with former teammate and 9-time world champion Valentino Rossi in the Factory Yamaha team.

From hot and humid Sepang, the heat is on for t he Malaysian round of the 2012 MotoGP world championships. While Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa has been riding better than ever before in his MotoGP career and having obviously the power and the momentum behind him, it is still an easy canter for title rival and championship leader. Jorge Lorenzo who maintains a healthy 28 point lead going into the last three rounds which includes Sepang.

Lorenzo only has to finish third or better in all of the last three races and still wrap up his second World MotoGP Championship despite anything which Pedrosa can do and this is where the likes of Casey Stoner, Dani's Repsol Honda teammate and the others might need to come into play to help slot between Dani and Jorge.

Given the fact that the two Spaniards are the class of the field and no one able to come anywhere close to their pace on a consistent basis, my outlook to the title battle is that Lorenzo has realised that he can't match Pedrosa on out right pace but that he only has to stick close to him ever mindful of the big picture which is the world championship. I can potentially see Dani winning all three remaining rounds (though teammate Stoner might be wanting to cover himself in glory at Philip Island in his swan song last Australian Grand Prix) with Lorenzo wrapping up the title at Valencia with a measured performance

The great thing about Lorenzo though is his inner calm and the 2010 World MotoGP Champion has matured tremendously in his overall makeup and poise. "This year is quite different from 2010. Then I was still chasing my first world title so I was a little more nervous and had to take more risks. Now that I have already won a title, at least I can be happy knowing that I have won it before," said Lorenzo.

"Come to think about it, not many riders have a title...., so I can take things a bit more calmly," said Lorenzo who has always had Sepang as a happy hunting ground. He clinched the second of his two 250cc crowns here in 2007 and also sealed his first MotoGP championship here in 2010. So even if Dani might have the speed and the power, never count Lorenzo out of the reckoning.

However there could be two new world champions on the motorcycle racing roster on Sunday in the Moto2 and Moto3 classes respectively. In the former the brilliantly quick Marc Marquez with a strong 53 point lead just has to finish ahead of his own countryman Pol Espargaro to seal his first ever Moto2 crown and on the form he is presently in, I don't think there would be anyone betting against this happening. Maybe Pol Espargaro might have other ideas and stretch the inevitable to Philip Island but not more than that.

"I do not care whether I am crowned champion in Malaysia, Australia or Valencia, the most important thing is to get the title, although the sooner the better," said the Repsol Suter rider who will move to MotoGP next year, replacing Casey Stoner who has announced his retirement from the sport earlier this year.

We could have had the first World Champion of 2012 last weekend at Motegi in Japan but championship leader Sandro Cortese astride his KTM lost the chance when he was just three corners away from clinching it His Red Bull KTM Ajoy Racing teammate Danny Kent and FMI Honda's Alessandro Tonucci got past him there and then he fumbled and crashed before remounting and crossing the line in sixth. Even then he has a 56 point lead going into Sepang over nearest title rival Maverick Vinales and if he finishes ahead of Vinales on Sunday he could be crowned the first ever Moto3 champion in history.

2011 will mark the end of the 125cc two-stroke machines in MotoGP, that will be replaced by 250cc four-stroke Moto3 counterparts. One of the chief players in this new class is Honda, who presented their Moto3 contender, the NSF250R four-stroke race machine at Barcelona before the Catalunya Grand Prix.

The all-new Honda NSF250R will play an important role in next year's Moto3 championship because the stringent Moto3 regulations designed to keep the engine costs under check make it harder for small time engine makers to develop race engines that are also financially feasible. This means only the major big players in the space will actually be able to produce affordable race machines without breaking into sweat. Which is why the Honda NSF250R is so crucial to the Moto3 championship as several chassis and frame developers too are waiting to get their hands on it as soon as possible in order to start building their own Moto3 race machines for 2012.

Developed to replace the 125cc two-stroke motorcycles, the Moto3 class will serve as an entry point to MotoGP for young riders to learn and master their race-craft. Based on Honda's new racing philosophy to move from 2-strokes to 4-strokes, 'NRS' or 'Next Racing Standard', the Honda NSF250R opens a new chapter in the world of two-wheeler road racing without significantly hampering the dynamics of the sport. Hence despite shifting to an all-new engine configuration, Honda has not deviated radically from its two-stroke predecessor, the RS125R with regards to chassis and other components.

Similar to the RS125R, the NSF250R too remains lightweight and compact, powered by a high-revving liquid-cooled DOHC single-cylinder 249cc four-stroke motor. In order to get better response from the engine, it has a front intake/rear exhaust set-up which allows for a smoother flow of gases. The cylinder too has been tilted backwards for mass centralisation which results in nimbler handling of the motorcycle.

Race machines are known for their high-revving nature and that trait is evident in the Honda NSF250R as well. For its enthusiastic nature, the motor employs titanium valves for inlet as well as exhaust in order to reduce friction. The cylinder surface is treated with nickel silicon carbide (Ni-SiC) for longer durability of the engine and to further reduce friction between the piston and the cylinder. The powerplant is mated to an easily replaceable cassette type close ratio six-speed transmission that can be easily tuned and tweaked depending on the race circuit. The frame on the NSF250R too has been based on the chassis of the RS125R, keeping it lightweight and compact and making for a highly nimble and stable handling motorcycle. The rigidity balance of the frame has also been reworked along with some changes to the shape without hampering the compact dimensions. The aerodynamic fairing of the RS125R was one of the best in its class and the NSF250R only builds on to those credentials with a special cooling duct under the front cowl to provide better cooling to the motor.

There is a lot riding on Honda's NSF250R as it is not only the first real Moto3 machine unveiled yet but also the fact that since there are a lot of frame builders waiting for a suitable engine from a competent manufacturer like Honda, they all are going to get their hands on the NSF50R to start work on developing their own Moto3 entries for 2012. The engine costs have been limited with strict regulations in the Moto3 class in order to prevent the giants from taking the development to another level and thus increasing the costs of the sport. The Moto3 class is proposed to play the same role what the 125cc two-strokes played of being an entry point for young riders to improve and master the art of motorcycle road-racing and reach the pinnacle of MotoGP.

Honda

2011 was the year that witnessed Honda-mounted Casey Stoner dominate the MotoGP season like he owned it, a repeat of his performance in 2007 astride the factory Ducati. And going by the results of the first Sepang test held recently, it seems this year too Casey Stoner is well set for another dominant season astride the Repsol Honda factory machine. Despite missing day one of the three-day Sepang test, the Australian was back topping the time sheets effortlessly as he broke the 2-minute barrier, the fastest ever recorded at Sepang by the final day. Not just comfortably fast but riding in a composed manner despite suffering from severe back pain that forced him to miss day one of the test, Stoner showed no signs of slowing down for this season, riding the new Honda RC213V 1000cc race machine.

With an all-new 1000cc engine layout by way of a bigger stroke while maintaining the bore similar to the 800cc machine, Honda has gone ahead and made solid development on the RC213V with new revamped electronics as well as focusing on smoother power delivery, allowing the rider to use the extra power and acceleration offered by the 200cc increment in displacement. But it's not been all great going for Stoner and Honda. The 7kg increase in the weight limit regulations for factory machines has resulted in the Honda RC213V encountering severe chatter issues, something that hampered Stoner's pace during the Sepang test. However, by the looks of it, it wouldn't be a shot in the dark to say that Stoner looks all set for another dominant season in MotoGP this year.

More importantly the added weight on the factory machines has affected Stoner's team-mate Dani Pedrosa, as turning and straddling the RC213V with its 1,000cc engine and increased horsepower has become even more physically demanding than the 800s. It means Pedrosa will be spending even more time in the gym increasing his fitness levels and pumping iron to pilot the RC213V. And with Stoner putting in impressive lap times on similar machinery, the pressure will be on Pedrosa to deliver in this season and bring back another triple crown to Honda.

Yamaha

If Honda has made big news with Stoner topping the charts, following closely on their heels is Jorge Lorenzo's Yamaha YZR-M1, that has seen some really positive development with regard to performance as well as electronics. Lorenzo was on the ball since day one of the Sepang test and by the final day, he was not too far behind Stoner. Yamaha has taken a big leap this year in developing the 1,000cc YZR-M1 and it sure will pay off in the hands of Lorenzo. Even though Stoner is highly impressive astride the Honda, the 2012 MotoGP title will not be a cakewalk for the Australian with Lorenzo's Yamaha close behind.

The difference between Lorenzo's Yamaha and Stoner' Honda is not seemingly huge and the fact that the M1 is still the nimblest motorcycle on the grid means Stoner might not have it all easy this season. Fans of the sport can expect some real action and sparks flying in 2012. Substantiating this fact was Ben Spies's performance at Sepang as the Texan was not too far behind the front running Hondas and just a couple of tenths behind his team-mate Lorenzo's Yamaha.

Ducati

While Honda has been stealing the limelight once again this season, the question on everyone's mind is about Ducati and Rossi and the development on the GP12. Honestly, compared to last year, the new Ducati is miraculously quick and consistent. Developed in a span of three months, the technicians at Ducati Corse have done a phenomenal job in transforming the mid-pack running Ducati into an able machine for 2012. Not only is the front end feel issue sorted to a huge extent on the GP12, it is now much faster as well as quicker with the entry of the 1000cc engine.

The effect of rolling the engine back, lifting it up and locating the fuel tank under the seat has allowed Ducati to produce a bike that responds to set-up changes in the same way as any other MotoGP bike might be expected to. While last year Ducati struggled to get the right set-up, it seems that this year Rossi has been able to get the right direction for the bike and every change in set-up, minor or major, has helped him reduce the lap times. A strong indication that Ducati may have got it right, finally.

Tech 3

Another confirmation that the 2012 Yamaha YZR-M1 might be just as competitive came from the Monster Tech 3 squad with Cal Crutchlow recording impressive lap times in the Sepang test to match the might of the factory outfits ruling the time sheets. Joining him was Andrea Dovizioso, who is straddling a Yamaha machine for the first time ever in his illustrious GP career, and he too was highly impressed with the handling of the M1. Considering that both the riders for Yamaha's satellite outfit have shown impressive pace, it once again puts focus on the development work gone into turning the M1 into a serious title contender. Crutchlow finished in 7th place after putting in just 3 laps on the final day while Dovizioso finished one place behind in 8th after putting in 40 strong laps.

Moto3

KTM

German rider Sandro Cortese of the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 Team topped the time sheets at the Valencia circuit on three days of the first official IRTA test held for the new Moto3 class that replaces the 125cc 2-stroke machines. Certainly KTM's expertise behind 4-stroke single-cylinder machines has a long history and its results can easily be seen in the very first official outing of the new machines itself. Cortese was fastest on all three days of the test and gradually upped the pace before ending the final day four-tenths faster than the previous day's fastest time. Speaking about the new KTM factory machine, the German said. "I had a very good feeling right from the first day to the end of tests and we improved a lot as we get the bike ready for the season. With KTM as the factory team we have a lot of support and I think I am in a better position than in previous years."

The first two days of the Valencia test, Wednesday and Thursday, witnessed some tricky weather conditions with the temperature dropping severely but Friday bought some respite with the temperature rising and allowing the riders to put in some impressive lap times. Alberto Moncayo (KALEX-KTM), Danny Kent (KTM) and Luis Salom (KALEX-KTM) all posted a time of 1'41.2 to be third, fourth and fifth on the unofficial time list on Friday. Niklas Ajo (KTM), Hector Faubel (KALEX-KTM) were placed sixth and seventh, Zulfahmi Khairuddin (KTM) and Brad Binder (KALEX-KTM) were ninth and tenth and Australian Red Bull Rookies Cup graduate Arthur Sissis (KTM) finished thirteenth.

While there is still much work to be done before the opening MotoGP in Qatar, it was nevertheless a positive outing for all five riders of the new KTM factory bike and the four riders on the KALEX-KTM-driven machine. They were in the top ten in the top third of the field of 33 riders. The next Moto3 testing will be in Jerez, Spain, where the Andalusian track will host three test days.

Honda

After a rather bleak performance in the last ever season of the 2-stroke 125cc World Championship, Honda is back in the game with new Moto3 machinery. Proficient with quarter-litre single-cylinder motorcycles, the Honda Moto3 machine was one of the first motorcycles to be unveiled from the new class. After having turned a wheel at the IRTA Official Test at Valencia, the results have been quite impressive as expected from Honda. Its top three riders

Commenting on the tests Vinales said, "This was a very complete three days, focusing on fine tuning the chassis and suspension. I'm really happy with the development that we have made with solid steps forward. The bike feels good and the chassis and suspension are at a really high standard now. I felt a little rusty on the first day back from the winter break, but I felt the same way today as I did after the race and test here in Valencia last year. We will continue with our chassis and suspension work in Jerez next week. We need some improvement made to the engine, as we lack acceleration and two or three km/h of top speed, but a positive to highlight is that it is a progressive Honda engine. Now it's time for a few days rest and to think about Jerez." His team-mate Miguel Oliveira who put in about 60 laps also shared similar views about the test and said, "These have been three very positive days, in which we have tried out many things. We did a lot of laps today and managed the same times as yesterday. We weren't able to go as fast as we had wanted, but we are nonetheless very satisfied. The team has put in a lot of hard work, so hats off to them. We still have a lot to do and a lot of room for improvement, so we can't wait for Jerez."

Mahindra

The only Indian racing team at the pinnacle of motorcycle road racing in the world, MotoGP, Mahindra Racing successfully completed the first ever test of its MGP30 Moto3 machine at the Valencia test session. Present at the test were Mahindra Racing riders Danny Webb, Marcel Schrotter as well as the team's Italian test rider Ricardo Moretti, all three of them spending valuable time astride the 250cc 4-stroke Mahindra Moto3 machine. British rider Danny Webb was the quickest amongst the Mahindra squad after having recorded a total of 98 laps over the three days and finally ending the Valencia test session in fifteenth place. His team-mate Marcel Schrotter could only manage to complete one day of test as the German lad returned from his home town after completing a special military training program devised for elite athletes. Schrotter was quick to get on the Mahindra MGP30 on the final day and spent the rest of the day familiarizing with the new machine with a total of 37 laps and a final best time of 1'46.2.

Webb had a scary moment on the final day but kept his momentum and even after having to deal with a few mechanical glitches on the new machine, was able to post impressive times finishing ahead of some significant rivals. Excited with the performance of the Mahindra MGP30 in the first test, Danny Webb said, "This has been a very positive experience on the whole. From day one I felt very comfortable on the bike. I think the four-stroke suits me better and it is more fun to ride. The bike handles really well, it's great through the corners and has pretty good top speed. We just need to get some more out of the bottom and middle of the engine and then I am confident we can run up at the front."

Speaking about the test results, Mufaddal Choonia, Mahindra Racing Team Principal commented, "The riders are very positive about the handling of the bike. In terms of the engine, we are displaying good top speed and, despite a few niggles, had no major problems. We still have a lot of work to do but, considering that the MGP30 has now done a total of only four days on track, I am very satisfied and confident that come Qatar we shall be up there competing towards the front. Big thanks are due to all of the team and to our technical partners, Engines Engineering and Oral Engineering."

Colin Edwards

The Texas Tornado has changed his base for 2012 from last year's Monster Yamaha Tech 3 to a CRT entry by the Forward Racing team employing a Suter chassis and powered by the highly potent BMW S1000RR engine. Edwards brings with him tons of experience in motorcycle road racing and can be of great help on the development front as well. Joining forces with an all-new crew chief of Forward Racing, Kor Veldman, Edwards will play a vital role in bringing the CRT machine up to pace with the top runners.

Hector Barbera

The Mapfre Aspar Team is switching from last year's satellite entry to an Aprilia CRT for 2012. MotoGP veteran Loris Capirossi has announced his retirement from the sport leaving an empty slot in the Pramac Racing Team, that has been filled by Spaniard Hector Barbera who will pilot the Ducati GP12 for the Italy-based outfit. Having spent impressive amounts of time racing the Ducati, it will be interesting to see Barbera exploit the potential of the new GP12 that he will debut this year.

Alvaro Bautista

The latest victim of the global economic downturn in the MotoGP world has been Suzuki, who withdrew from the 2012 MotoGP season due to the sport's escalating costs further worsened by the financial crisis. With Suzuki pulling out of the sport, Bautista was left without a ride for the 2012 season, but San Carlo Gresini Honda Team's single entry left vacant with the unfortunate demise of Marco Simoncelli and its other rider, Yuki Takahashi moving to World Superbikes for 2012, the slot was handed to Bautista for 2012.

Randy de Puniet

Frenchman Randy de Puniet has moved from last year's team Pramac Racing to the Aprilia-powered Mapfre Aspar CRT Team. Having raced a variety of machinery over the years including Honda, Aprilia, Kawasaki and Ducati, his performance on the RSV4-powered CRT machine will be crucial for the team and its development. With the strong backing of Aprilia and its commitment to racing, Randy de Puniet is certainly confident and also highly capable at delivering some striking results at least amongst the crop of CRT entries.

Mattia Passini

Another promotion to the premier class from Moto2, Mattia Passini will be piloting the Aprilia CRT for the Speed Master team. The Italian had a rather tough outing last year riding for FTR in the Moto2 class and he only managed to finish 24th overall in the championship with a total of 28 points. He got the 2012 seat in MotoGP after the previously chosen rider Anthony West failed to bring in enough sponsors and could not secure a seat in the team for 2012, thus handing the opportunity to Passini.

Aleix Espargaro

Joining Randy de Puniet in the Mapfre Aspar Team is Spanish rider Aleix Espargaro who gets a worthy upgrade after successfully contesting in the Moto2 series last season and finishing 12th with one podium to his credit. The Spaniard who has previously tasted the MotoGP class in 2009 and 2010 with Pramac Racing astride the Ducati will make a comeback to the premier class with another Italian manufacturer, Aprilia. His best finishes in MotoGP in the two seasons was two 8th places in 2010.

Ivan Silva

This Spanish racer, who has had success at various racing championships in Europe, has made occasional MotoGP appearances with his debut in 2006 at Assen where he stepped in place of Alex Hoffman for the D'Antin team. The following year he replaced Hoffman for the Czech GP and now he is back on the MotoGP grid for 2012 riding for CRT outfit Avintia Racing astride a ZX-10R powered FTR-Kawasaki motorcycle. The 29-year-old has been a Ducati test rider for MotoGP but hasn't delivered good results in his premier class outings.

James Ellison

Making his return to MotoGP in 2012 is James Ellison riding for the Paul Bird Motorsport team running a CRT Aprilia entry. Having entered the MotoGP history books as the only rider ever to have switched bikes mid-race, when he changed his bike with slick tyres to the one with rain tyres at Philip Island in 2006, the Brit rider has tasted success in several racing championships like European Superstock, the Supersport World Championship and the Endurance World Championship. He returns to MotoGP after a rather tough year in the 2011 British Superbike Championship.

Michele Pirro

Italian rider Michele Pirro joins the elite clan of MotoGP riders for 2012 on the FTR-Honda CRT machine entered by the San Carlo Gresini Honda team. Having contested two seasons of Moto2 series for the Honda specialist Moriwaki team, Pirro brought back some fairly good results during last season with one victory, two podiums and one pole before finishing in 9thplace in the overall standings. Having shown solid improvement and consistency, Pirro might just surprise the MotoGP fans in 2012 as he straddles the Honda CBR1000RR powered FTR machine.

Danilo Petrucci

After shaking up the Superstock 1000 Championship, which is a support series to World Superbike Championship, by finishing second in the overall standings and handing Ducati a one-two finish in the series, Italian rider Danilo Petrucci is all set to make his debut in MotoGP this season riding for Aprilia-powered CRT entry from IODA Racing Project. The 21-year-old is kicked about his big break and is in peak form with some solid achievements in the Supersock 1000 series.

Yonny Hernandez

Colombian rider Yonny Hernandaacute;ndez debuted in the Moto2 series with the Blusens-STX team and successfully completed two seasons in Moto2 with the team delivering a series of points-scoring finishes and two top ten results in the span of two years. The lad gets a worthy promotion to play with the big boys in MotoGP for 2012 season as he joins Ivan Silva in the Avintia Racing CRT squad astride the FTR-Kawasaki machine. The 23-year-old has the least experience in GP racing amongst his rivals.

The first time I took Marco Simoncelli seriously as a rider was a little too late, in hindsight. It was earlier this year, at the soaking wet race in Silverstone. Sure, he had been a two-time 250cc world champion, but there had been plenty of riders who had excelled in the smaller classes and had struggled to get to grips with the premier class prototypes. A similar fate had seemed to follow Marco as he missed podiums and points just because he could not stay on his motorcycle. Difficult to give this sort of a wild, unfocussed rider a lot of attention, especially in a field littered with amazing talent.

The Racer

Watching him go in the wet at the British GP however was a revelation. It was like watching a child at play andndash; fearless of consequences, exploring new lines in the wet, trying to find that relatively grippier part of the tarmac on exit every single lap andndash; it was a very unique display, and utterly beautiful. Of course, the race, like many others this season, ended in a crash after he was caught out by compatriot rival Andrea Dovizioso's masterful braking, but the flame had been clear.

Kevin Schwantz, one of Marco's close friends and arguably the most spectacular racer the sport has ever seen, pointed it out in his obituary for the rider. Struggling with motocross bikes at a charity event, Simoncelli received some quick tips from Schwantz who was also riding at the event. "I was talking to him a little bit about what he was doing, and how he was doing it. And by the end of the weekend of motocross riding, it was all I could do to keep him in sight," he mentioned.

That was Simoncelli's strength, and put into perspective how his will to be the fastest surpassed all conventions about safety and security. All he cared about was how to get faster andndash; soaking up every bit of useful advice he could lay his mind on, trying new things with all his heart, never giving up. His meteoric rise up the ranks was a result of this, as was his status as an irritant in the eyes of other riders. In a field full of technically perfect Spanish racers who have been groomed in track manners since their young days, here was a warrior carrying on in the Italian tradition andndash; from Umberto Masetti to Marco 'Wild Horse' Lucchinelli, through to Max Biaggi and Valentino Rossi.

This year, especially more than ever, his riding style came under criticism from the more established racers, and race direction. Simo's confidence took a beating, but he never let the comments bog him down. On the racetrack, on his motorcycle, he was as free as any human being had ever been. Nothing else mattered.

Of The People

Marco's heart and passion for racing was something we could all see from our television screens, not knowing the person in the slightest. This heart had won him more fans than any racer since Valentino Rossi, as was clear from his appearance at the Riders for Health congregation before the race at Silverstone. British reception is the litmus test for any rider in the public eye andndash; the audience there makes no bones about its lack of appreciation for riders, as Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo have already experienced. For SuperSic however, the arms were wide open, and applause uninhibited.

The media loved him to bits too, since he had brought stories single-handedly to this otherwise boring 2011 MotoGP season. Always ready with quips, goofs and a completely unguarded approach, he was an interviewer's dream. "Marco was a very special person, and perhaps people have understood what he was like. If he had to swear he would, he was like that. Most of all he was honest, he was really pure," said Paulo Simoncelli, Marco's father. How does one console a father's heart?

Loss

At 24, with two pole positions and two podiums in what was only his second season in the premier class, Simoncelli was most certainly a champion in the making. His racecraft had begun to see the polish that two seasons of riding with the best in the world should have brought, and the biggest proof of this was his penultimate race at Phillip Island andndash; which also brought him his best result yet. In increasingly difficult conditions where a lot of his contemporaries interfaced with the pavement, he took the cautious approach and kept it upright. Only after he was passed by rival Andrea Dovizioso did he bring the daggers out, but still managed to bury them in with style as he reclaimed second place.

But his promise went further than that. In an increasingly red-taped sport where young stars are eager to fall in line with the clean, sophisticated, almost corporate way of working, Marco was the one of the few to go against the grain, speak his mind, and do as his heart saw fit. All this with a conspicuous absence of cockiness, and generous doses of honesty, humility and smiles, he could have been, five years from now, what MotoGP needs today. Number 58, your candle burnt out long before it should have, but your legend shall stay evergreen.

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Coming weekend the MotoGP circus will arrive at the famed motorsport establishment of Le Mans for the French Grand Prix where the 4.185 kilometre long Bugatti circuit will play host to the fourth round of the 2012 MotoGP season. It's the 55^th French Grand Prix at the iconic circuit and this year it witnesses a three-way battle for the 2012 title. Reigning MotoGP World Champion Casey Stoner astride his Honda RC213V leads the championship with just one point separating him from second placed 2010 MotoGP World Champion and Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo. Joining their duel will be Stoner's team-mate Dani Pedrosa, the Spaniard desperately chasing his first victory of the 2012 season.

The dominant Australian won the French Grand Prix in 2011 but this time the pressure is harder with his team-mate Pedrosa and Lorenzo breathing down his neck as well as the pressure to chase his 19^th successive podium. Looking at his form this year, with back to back wins in previous two rounds at Jerez and Estoril, respectively, (which are the only two circuits where Stoner had never won a grand prix before) the Australian rider sure is the man to beat at Le Mans. Post a quick and strong recovery from his arm-pump issue, Stoner seems well prepared and fit to tackle assault from his chief rival Lorenzo, who has already won at the Le Mans twice before. Honda's Dani Pedrosa post his 100^th podium from Estoril will be chasing his first win of 2012 season at a circuit where he is yet to win in the premier class. However, considering Monster Tech3 Yamaha rider Cal Crutchlow's impressively consistent top five finishes this season, the Brit rider could give Pedrosa a strong fight for a podium finish at the upcoming 2012 French Grand Prix.

The Rossi-Ducati splice was the biggest news of 2011. But since the early tests itself it was clear that Rossi won't have it easy astride the adamant Ducati GP race machine. It was much different than he had expected. It is a sheer mystery how Stoner managed to tame the motorcycle which the nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi could not take to fight for a podium for most of 2011. Casey Stoner had decoded the knack of riding the Ducati around its problems and riding it fast enough to win races.

But with one whole season gone and no promising results and Rossi's latest outburst about Ducati Corse not helping him take the GP12 in the right direction throws light on the fact that Ducati is not willing to let go of their technical beliefs and fundamentals even on the repeated requests of Stoner previously and now Rossi. The Italian then made a measured yet discouraged statement to the media post the 2012 Qatar race stating, "Ducati did not follow the direction I have tried to steer them in. I am not an engineer, and I cannot solve every problem." Soon afterwards reports started flooding in about Rossi wanting an early exit from his Ducati contract and exploring other possibilities. Although Rossi himself denied any such developments along with Ducati CEO Gabriele del Torchio confirming there was no chance of Rossi leaving Ducati and moving to another manufacturer, the MotoGP paddocks were rife with rumours surrounding Rossi's exit from Ducati.

Most of the factory team contracts are ending in 2012 and the 2013 season will once again witness a round of MotoGP musical chairs. So if Rossi was to not renew his contract with Ducati for 2013, where could the Italian go and knowing his commercial value as well as the enormous amount of talent packed into the lanky frame, which team on the grid would not want the Italian superstar to ride for them? The answer is not as obvious as it seems. We take a look at the most likely teams that Rossi would want to try for 2013 notwithstanding the fact how many of them can afford him.

Repsol Honda Team

- After the much talked about exit from Honda, Rossi will certainly not have it easy finding a way back into the Repsol Honda paddock.

- Repsol Honda is currently floating two of the top riders including reigning world champion Casey Stoner, who will certainly not like to share space alongside Rossi as a team-mate. And going by the 2012 season and the current scenario, for Honda it is more important to keep Stoner happy than have the biggest star in MotoGP on their side.

- Honda reduced its entries from last year's six to four for 2012. They could allow Rossi to run his own team leasing an RC213V. But that reduces Stoner's chances at the title with team-mate Pedrosa already in the fray.

Factory Yamaha Team

- The other biggest Japanese factory and Rossi's previous employers, Yamaha too have a strong contender in Jorge Lorenzo for the 2012 title and nor will the Spaniard be very pleased to have Rossi in the same team.

- Even with the Yamaha machinery, Rossi will definitely not have it easy for the 2012 title alongside Lorenzo and if he wins, it will only mean taking away points from his team-mate Lorenzo, damaging Yamaha's chances at the championship.

- That means bringing Rossi onboard reduces Lorenzo's chances at the 2012 title and instead helps the case of Yamaha rivals, primarily the Repsol Honda riders.

Satellite Teams

- The prime satellite seat for Rossi would be in the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha squad. But Rossi astride a satellite Yamaha could once again pose a threat to Lorenzo's title fight on occasions despite being on inferior machinery.

- Also, fielding a fifth bike apart from the two existing factory machines and the two satellite entries would pose economically unviable for the Japanese major.

- More importantly, will Rossi settle for a satellite team? Already having burnt his fingers on non-competitive machinery, will the Italian resort to a non-factory ride knowing even though he can fight for podiums andndash; a title would be still far-fetched.

Factory Ducati

- In 2012, after having gone through three different chassis for the 800cc machine and two for the 1000cc machine, Rossi is only marginally happy with the progress on the Ducati. Although the talk of Ducati testing all-new engine at Mugello is already out.

- For Rossi, it is the best bet to stick with Ducati and make the partnership work as it will be a huge dent to Ducati's MotoGP ambitions and an equally strong blow to Rossi's illustrious career.

- Ducati will need to listen to its riders and do away with its long-held Ducati-centric technologies in order to achieve the results it desires from its riders.

Ducati GP12

The 2011 season turned out to be a disaster for the Ducati-Rossi combo as the pair fought hard to come in terms with the Ducati GP11. The lack of front end feel from the Ducati clubbed with Rossi's riding style evolved over riding prototype Japanese machinery that offered him plenty of feedback from the front-end, resulted in Rossi finishing the 2011 MotoGP Championship in 7th place. The only other time he has finished out of the top three places in the championship was his debut season in grand prix racing, in 1996 in the 125cc class. Certainly then, the 2011 season hasn't gone down too well and Ducati has been working very hard in the past months to reform the GP12 to suit Rossi's riding style. Result of all this work is a completely new Ducati race-machine for 2012 that debuted at the Sepang test (read more about the MotoGP Sepang test in this issue).

Apart from bumping up the engine displacement to 1,000cc in line with the new regulations, Ducati has changed a lot more on the GP12, starting with the frame. While previously the Italian firm was contesting of employing a frameless design with engine as the stressed member that idea has been scrapped for an aluminium twin spar chassis. This was chiefly due to the engine use restrictions, as the twin spar frame offers more options to re-position the same engine for varying setups unlike the frameless design, where relocating the motor for better results means every time employing a new engine.

Yamaha YZR-M1

While a lot has been said about Ducati and Honda, Yamaha has made some silently but deadly progress with its YZR-M1 prototype machinery. Once again back to the 1,000cc engine displacement, the 2012 YZR-M1 is just as lethal as its competition and especially in the hands of one fiery young Spaniard called Jorge Lorenzo. Over the past couple of months, the Yamaha Factory Racing technicians along with its two riders have taken some crucial steps forward with regards to making the M1 more tractable and nimble than last year's machine. With increased power outputs, the balance of the chassis has been reconfigured to suit the improved acceleration as well as there is an all-new electronics package on the machine constantly modulating the power for smoother delivery and precise control. Despite the weight gain due to new rules, the 2012 Yamaha YZR- M1 still carries forward its handling supremacy as it turns quicker and corners faster.

Honda RC213V

All geared and set to defend its title in 2012, Honda is back in the MotoGP game and once again it has got the right tools in the right hands. Based around last year's 800cc prototype, the new 1,000cc Honda RC213V has gotten quicker and faster but also heavier like other factory machines. With the GP Commission increasing the minimum weight limit for factory machines to 157kg (from last year's 150kg) in order to keep the competition against CRT bikes of level playing field, the 2012 Honda RC213V will exert more stress during cornering on its pilots, especially Dani Pedrosa. Packaged inside a twin-spar aluminium frame, the 1,000cc V4 Honda motor produces power upwards of 230 horses, but is lighter and more fuel efficient than before as well as more long-lasting, as found during the 2,000km durability test conducted by Honda. With 21-litres of fuel capacity cap and added weight of 7kg for the factory machines, the teams have a Herculean task to extract maximum power without compromising fuel consumption.

Suter

Swiss-based well-known chassis constructor Suter was one of the first confirmed CRT entries for 2012 season and it was quick to sign the Texas Tornado andndash; Colin Edwards to pilot their machine. With years of experience in building chassis for some of the finest road-racing machines in the world, there is little to doubt Suter's expertise with chassis development. The Suter-BMW machine employs the 1,000cc powerplant from the BMW S1000RR, packaged inside a conventional twin-spar frame. The twin-spar frame and the swingarm have been completely redesigned to accommodate the larger 24-litre fuel tank, as allotted to the CT machines by the regulations. There is also a highly advanced electronic package provided by Bosch for smoother flow of power and better feel from the machine. While the power, electronics and handling dynamics are well sorted on the Suter machine, it hasn't welcomed the Bridgestone tyres with wide open arms as Edwards is experiencing a lot of chatter problems on the bike.

ART

The Claiming Rule Team rule has seen the grid numbers in MotoGP rise to 21 this year from last year's 17 entries. And thanks to CRT, one of the most prominent names making its return into the premier class of GP racing is Italian bike-maker Aprilia. Running the RSV4 motor inside a tuned frame, which is speculated to be highly similar to the one on Aprilia's World Superbike machine, Aprilia Racing Team (ART) has registered a total of four CRT entries for 2012. Frenchman Randy de Puneit of Mapfre Aspar CRT team took the ART machine for a spin at the Jerez test and the results were highly impressive. Since the chassis in World Superbike Championship cannot be modified, the ART machines can be termed as CRT prototypes and also the fact that Aprilia will be selling the bikes and not leasing them, the GP Commission has decided not to strip the ART teams from their CRT status.

FTR

Noted British-based chassis builders FTR will be have three CRT entries consisting of two Kawasaki powered machines and one contested by San Carlo Gresini Honda with the CBR1000RR Fireblade engine. The biggest differentiating factor between the CRT machines and the factory bikes in 2012 MotoGP season will be the use of electronic packages. While the factory teams have a sizeable amount of data gathered over the years and also higher resources to spend on electronics, the CRT teams will have to develop the electronic packages on data that will be acquired as the season progresses. The two BQR-FTR Kawasaki CRT machines will be using the latest ZX-10R powerplant but it will be a Herculean task for the CRT teams to be competitive with the factory and satellite teams and electronics along with the right setup to work with the Bridgestone rubber will play a crucial role in the development of CRT machines.

From the opening race held at the floodlit circuit of Losail in Qatar till the grand finale at Valenica circuit in Spain, the 17 races completed successfully in between, Australia's Casey Stoner notched up ten victories in the 2011 MotoGP season to take home his second MotoGP World Championship. The remaining seven victories were shared amongst three other riders. The only rider on the 2011 MotoGP grid to take his wins tally to double digits, Casey Stoner reigned supreme throughout the season with his consistency of finishing on the podium in 16 of the 17 races. Right from the beginning of 2011 season, Casey Stoner made everything work well for him, starting with the right choice of machinery, the Honda RC212V and then complimenting it with his exceptionally instinctive riding ability as the season progressed.

As the saying goes andndash; all that starts well ends well, Stoner's 2011 MotoGP campaign too started with a bang at the opening round of the 2011 MotoGP Championship at the Losail circuit in Qatar where he won the night race starting from pole position to take his first win of 2011. A track favourable to his riding style, this was also his fourth victory under the floodlights at Qatar out of the six times that the Australian has been there on a MotoGP machine. After having shown tremendous promise during the pre-season tests, there was no doubt that Stoner astride the Honda was going to be the man to beat in the 2011 season, and his pace at Qatar only substantiated this fact. Arriving at the Jerez circuit in Spain for the second round of the championship, Stoner once again topped the time sheets and scored his second pole in a row. But the race turned out to be far from anything what Stoner would have planned when Valentino Rossi made a pass onto Stoner and then crashed, taking both of them out. While Rossi was able to remount and start the race again, Stoner was less fortunate and was forced to retire out of the Spanish GP andndash; the only race in the 2011 MotoGP season where he missed a podium finish.

With one victory and a retirement, Stoner arrived at Estoril in Portugal for the third round of the season trailing 25 points behind title defender Jorge Lorenzo who topped the timesheets at Estoril to take his very first pole position of 2011. Suffering with some brake issues and difficulty in mid-corner turning on his Honda, Casey struggled to find pace at Estoril, while the unpredictable weather conditions only made things worse for the Australian to sort out the issues before the race. Starting the race from second row on the grid in fourth position, Stoner looked much more composed than he appeared during qualifying and was able to climb up one spot to take third at Estoril, while his team-mate Dani Pedrosa won the race followed by Lorenzo in second place. Despite Stoner's superb form seen throughout the pre-season tests, it appeared that the Australian would have to work very hard for his second title as Lorenzo showed tremendous form and consistency in the early title chase.

But as the MotoGP circus arrived at the Le Mans circuit for the French Grand Prix, what ensued was not something even Stoner would have imagined but only wished for. The feisty young Honda-mounted rider not only won the French GP but went on to win the subsequent Catalunya GP and British GP, in the process adding two more pole positions, one at Le Mans and the other at Silverstone, and bringing his pole position tally to four in a total of six races and putting him in top of the championship with an 18 points lead over Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo. His winning streak was interrupted at the following Dutch TT when American rider Ben Spies, who started the race second on the grid and one place ahead of Casey Stoner, rode brilliantly to taste his first ever MotoGP victory at Assen. Pole starter Marco Simoncelli faltered at turn one on the opening lap of the Dutch TT due to lack of heat in the tyres and took out Lorenzo with him as well. Meanwhile Spies was quick to take over the lead and then went on to win the race. Although Simoncelli and Lorenzo were able to remount and start the race, it was still a long shot for either one of them to challenge the front runners.

With Lorenzo out of the fight for the top three places, Stoner was happy to finish comfortably in second place and extend his lead in the championship over Lorenzo to 24 points. Adding another pole to his collection at Mugello, Casey Stoner led for majority of the 23-lap Italian GP with a strong 2.3-second lead over his closest competitor. However, a wrong tyre pressure choice and increase in the track temperatures as the race progressed hampered him pace in the final few laps as the grip from the Bridgestone tyres further deteriorated to a point where he was unable to push any harder. As the race neared its end, on lap 18 of 23 reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo caught up and passed Stoner to take the lead. while on the final lap, Stoner's team-mate Andrea Dovizioso too was able to pass Stoner to take second, forcing Stoner to finish in third place in a race that seemed so obviously in Stoner's control. The following round at Sachsenring for the German GP, Stoner secured another fantastic pole position but similar to the previous round in Italy, the Australian failed to convert the pole into a victory as he could not match his team-mate Dani Pedrosa's pace in Germany and finished in third position after losing the battle with Jorge Lorenzo on the final lap for second place. But a podium finish meant he set a personal record for seventh successive podium appearance in the MotoGP class.

Three rounds without a victory and Lorenzo inching closer to him in the standings with just 15 points separating the top two riders, Stoner arrived at the iconic Laguna Seca circuit in US stronger and confident of a good result. Missing the pole position by a whisker to Lorenzo and starting second on the grid, Stoner began his onslaught midway into the race and pulled off a brave outside pass on Lorenzo on the scarily fast turn one of the Laguna Seca circuit at mind warping 265km/h to take the lead. There on Stoner escaped ahead in the lead to take the win at the US GP. Stoner's solid form continued for the next two rounds held at Brno and Indianapolis with him taking two more back-to-back wins and escaping further ahead of Lorenzo in the point standings with a 44-point lead. As the MotoGP world came to San Marino, pressure was on Lorenzo and it only got worse with Stoner notching another pole position at the Misano circuit. However in the race, Stoner was unable to catch Lorenzo, who escaped ahead in the front to take his third win of the season, while Stoner finished in third place behind team-mate Pedrosa. At the following round at Motorland Aragon, Stoner completely dominated the weekend with a pole position start and a fastest lap in the race to take his eighth win of the season. This was also the 100th victory for the Repsol Honda Team which began in 1995, when Stoner's compatriot Mick Doohan won the first race for the team. With just four rounds remaining and 44 points separating Stoner and Lorenzo, they arrived at the Motegi circuit in Japan with their sights set on the title. Stoner yet again repeated his qualifying form by securing his 10th pole of this season and early into the race it appeared he would also bag the win. But as he came across and braked on the bumpy section of the post-earthquake repaved Motegi circuit, the brakes on his Honda RC212V got damaged forcing him to run off track only to rejoin the race in seventh place. Having lost a race that was clearly in his sights, Stoner still made a strong comeback to secure the final spot on the podium and take home crucial championship points while his closest title contender Jorge Lorenzo finished one place ahead in second.

With just 40 points between the two and three rounds remaining, Stoner had a strong chance to secure his 2011 title in front of his home fans at the following round in Philip Island where he had been winning consecutively for last five seasons. Stoner clinched his eleventh pole of the 2011 MotoGP season at Philip Island and his fourth in a row at his home circuit, with Lorenzo close on his heels in second place. But misfortune struck Lorenzo as he severely injured his finger in a crash during the morning Warm Up practice and was forced to sit out for the Australian GP. With Lorenzo missing the race, Stoner had to finish anywhere in the top six positions to take the title. But the youngster did what was expected of him and starting from pole he went on to win the Australian GP for the fifth time in a row and clinched his second world championship in front of his home fans on his 26th birthday while handing Honda their first title in five years.

The following round at Sepang was engulfed in darkness and sorrow when Honda rider Marco Simoncelli succumbed to his injuries shortly after getting critically injured in a racing incident on lap two of the Malaysian GP. The race was red flagged with no points awarded to any riders. Struck by the sudden and tragic loss of a promising rider like Marco Simoncelli, the MotoGP family gathered for the final round at Valencia is Spain where Stoner scored his twelfth pole position and equaled fellow countryman and 5-time world champion Mick Doohan's record for highest number of pole positions in one season. With his second world championship title, Stoner also joins Giacomo Agostini, Valentino Rossi, Geoff Duke and Eddie Lawson by winning the premier class title for two different manufacturers andndash; in 2007 for Ducati and in 2011 for Honda. Stoner beat Lorenzo in the rider standings with a 90-point lead in what was the last season of the 800cc era as from next year onwards MotoGP moves once again to the 1000cc machines.

The Sachsenring MotoGP in numbers:

50 years ago - The first East German Grand Prix was held at the Sachsenring circuit in 1961. The original circuit
used for this event was a closed road circuit 8.73km in length.

50 - Casey Stoner's third place finish at Mugello was the 50th time he has stood on the podium in MotoGP. Only two
Australian riders have more podium finishes in the premier-class: Doohan andndash; 95, Gardner andndash; 52.

45 years ago andndash; On race day in Germany it will be exactly 45 years since Frantisek Stastny won the 500cc race at
the 1966 East German Grand Prix. This was the only 500cc win by the Jawa and the only 500cc win by a Czech rider.

30 andndash; Anthony West celebrates his 30th birthday on race day at the German Grand Prix.

21 andndash; Johann Zarco celebrates his 21st birthday on the day of qualifying at the German Grand prix.

14 andndash; The first visit to the newly built Sachsenring circuit was in 1998 and it has hosted a GP event every year since,
making this the fourteenth successive year that a Grand Prix event has been held at the circuit.

12 andndash; The original Sachsenring road circuit hosted a GP event for twelve successive years from 1961 until 1972, after
which the circuit was considered too dangerous for Grand Prix racing.

5 - Valentino Rossi is the rider with most victories at the new Sachsenring circuit with 5 wins (1x 250cc, 4 x MotoGP),
followed by Dani Pedrosa with four wins (2 x 250cc, 2 x MotoGP).

5 - Since the introduction of the four-stroke MotoGP class in 2002, Honda have been the most successful manufacturer
at the Sachsenring circuit with five wins, followed by Yamaha with three and Ducati with a single victory in 2008.

3.508 km andndash; The new Sachsenring circuit was first used in 1998 and was initially just 3.508km long with one short
section of track from the old road circuit. Major modifications to the circuit in 2001 and then additional slight alterations
in 2003 resulted in the current 3.671 km track layout.

4 - Since Grand Prix racing returned to the Sachsenring circuit in 1998 there have been four podium finishes by home
riders: Ralf Waldmann was third in the 250cc race in 1999, Steve Jenkner was third in the 125cc race in 2002, Stefan
Bradl finished 2nd in the 125cc category in 2008 and Sandro Cortese finished third in the 125cc race last year.

3 andndash; There have been three different winners in the MotoGP class in Germany over the last three years, riding three
different makes of motorcycle; 2008 andndash; Stoner (Ducati), 2009 andndash; Rossi (Yamaha), 2010 andndash; Pedrosa (Honda)

2 andndash; Two German riders won at the old Sachsenring circuit: Ernst Degner (MZ) won the 125cc race in 1961 and Dieter
Braun won the 250cc race in 1971 riding a Yamaha.

0 andndash; None of the riders starting the 125cc race at the Sachsenring has previously won a GP race in Germany.

This concept of "cutting one's teeth" lies at the root of all feeder classes, and is critical for the survival of a sport. So, did the inaugural Moto2 season prepare its riders for battle in the top class? Hardly. Toni Elias went on to become the world's first Moto2 World Champion - after a demotion from five straight seasons in MotoGP. Other riders - most of them ex-250cc racers accustomed to highly evolved razor-sharp machines - grappled with the awkward Moto2 combination. A regulation engine that did not make near enough power, plonked in various prototype chassis which were all too heavy, put down on tarmac by regulation tyres which were way too hard. The result? Average lap records of Moto2 bikes over the 15 tracks were a shocking 1.7 seconds slower than the corresponding average 250cc lap records on the same tracks. What's worse? Even the 600cc production-based World SuperSport bikes were 0.68 seconds faster, considering average lap records over the five racetracks common between the two. In what world is a souped-up street vehicle faster than an equal-displacement prototype racing machine?

If lap times are all that matter, then the case is open and shut, as is easy to figure in this opening lament by a 250cc GP machine lover. Look beyond the lap times though, and it is not tough to see how Moto2s have saved the feeder class formula from becoming a one-pony race, which the 250s had jolly well turned into. And while the bikes may be slow for now, it must be remembered that this was the debut season for the formula - that means we have had to contrast lap records of completely developed and cutting-edge 250cc race machines with matching tyres against bikes that are still completely experimental, with a point to prove about reliability in their inaugural season.

Design challenges

The 600cc regulation engine supplied by Honda is based on the CBR600RR powerplant - the same engine that powers HRC's World SuperSport project. While the WSS engine consistently puts out in excess of 150bhp at the rear wheel, the Moto2 bikes were still running at only about 125bhp at the rear wheel, according to estimates - essentially since Honda could not take the risk of having engines blow up in their inaugural attempt at supplying regulation mills. At the same time most chassis makers designed their frames assuming the higher output - hence almost of the bikes exceeded their 140kg minimum weight limit. WSS bikes also run on ultra sticky Pirelli rubber - paper they may be street legal tyres but in reality they are massive grip contact patches with grooves cut in just to make them look unlike racing slicks. The regulation Dunlop tyres for Moto2 however were ultra-hard - we heard champion Toni Elias speak about these and it makes sense too. Just like Honda, Dunlop did not wish to spoil the racing with tyres that offered grip but depleted themselves before race distance. The only point where poor lap times were on account of the teams was in terms of the aerodynamics - almost a 10 km/hr top speed difference between the front runners and the rear end field.

Racing action

The lap times suffered then, but the racing did not. In fact, the 42 bikes that lined up on the grid for the debut season was a sight that has been missing from grand prix racing for many years now, all thanks to how expensive the sport had become. The big money involved in racebike development also meant that the 250s had grown to be a one-horse race - one involving four Aprilias, run by different teams. The lap records set were also on these big ticket prototypes - look at the times of the lesser endowed 250s and their fastest lap seem much more comparable to the current Moto2 figures. More or less uniform machinery and tyres meant that there were no single-sided battles of this sort in Moto2, and there was plenty of racing action - even for the fifth place.

The low-cost compulsory Suter slipper clutch may have been inconsistent and scary for riders, but it did throw up plenty of sideways corner entries much to the thrill of spectators. While the ex-250 racers might have missed the wild, tactile feel of the 250s, the pay off was in terms of finally getting the potential to battle the front runners, for everybody. No wonder then that the same formula is on its way to replace the 125cc Grand Prix World Championship from 2012, creating the new Moto3 class. It's not a question of two-stroke race machine love anymore. Racing is racing, and survival is a priority for a world-level championship.

andhellip; and there's still WSB Ever since MotoGP went four-stroke, hopes of the World Superbike and other production-based championships like the AMA and BSB series as a valid final step towards the pinnacle of grand prix racing have been buoyant. Results though have been wildly fluctuating - from champions (Nicky Hayden) to regular-midfield-runners (Colin Edwards), from over-optimistic judgements (James Toseland) to cross switches (Max Biaggi). It cannot be forgotten that the third most winning rider in motorcycle grand prix racing - Mick Doohan - came from a production bike racing background, hopped straight on to the manic 500cc two-strokes tuned by the great Jeremy Burgess, and went on to dominate racing in his time. Ben Spies may just shine this coming season and, who knows, set the trend for MotoGP teams picking riders from WSB.

While Moto2 has achieved its two basic objectives of bringing bikes back to the starting grid and dishing out delicious racing action, its relevance as a feeder class will be seen only after about five years, when the current crop of 250cc graduates who are ruling the roost at the MotoGP fade out, and the young guns who have risen out of Moto2 pits battle with grizzled WSB veterans, man to man. The riders at the top could come from absolutely any series - a good rider is good on every bike. The competitiveness of the entire grid and consequently, the success of the sport in creating great fights, will depend largely on how quickly the Moto2s grow faster and more testing, and begin to live up to their "prototype racing motorcycle" tag.

Fast Figures from the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar (Losail Circuit):

100 andndash; At the Qatar GP, Sandro Cortese is scheduled to make his 100th Grand Prix start, all of which have been in the 125cc class. Cortese made his Grand Prix debut at the opening race of 2005 at Jerez and has competed in every 125cc GP race since then without missing. At the age of 21 years and 73 days he will become the second youngest rider ever to reach the milestone of 100 Grand Prix starts; only Jorge Lorenzo has reached this milestone at a younger age.

125cc Grand Prix

63 andndash; This will be the 63rd year that the 125cc class has been part of the world championship Grand Prix series. It is the only class to have maintained the same capacity limit since the world championship racing started in 1949. For 2012 the 125cc class will be replaced by a new four-stroke formula with a capacity limit of 250cc.

Lorenzo andamp; Pedrosa

35 andndash; Great rivals Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa have both won 35 Grand Prix races across all three classes.

14 andndash; Jorge Lorenzo's victory at the final race of 2010 in Valencia was his 14th win in the premier-class, which is just one less than the number of career wins for Alex Criville who is the most successful Spanish rider of all-time in the premier class.

12 andndash; Valentino Rossi will be aiming to win in the premier-class for the 12th successive year to equal the record of Giacomo Agostini.

12 andndash; Dani Pedrosa has had twelve MotoGP victories. One more victory would give him the same number of premier class wins as Randy Mamola and Max Biaggi, who are currently the two riders with most premier-class wins without winning the world title.

11 andndash; Qualifying day in Qatar will be the eleventh anniversary of the 2000 South African Grand Prix which was won by Garry McCoy on a Yamaha. This was also the race at which Valentino Rossi made his premier-class debut when he crashed on the 13th lap after setting the fastest lap of the race.

Valentino Rossi aboard the Honda RC211V in 2003

8 andndash; It is eight years ago since a Honda rider won the opening MotoGP race of the year andndash; Valentino Rossi in 2003 at the Suzuka circuit in Japan.

8 andndash; This will be the eighth occasion that a Grand Prix event has been held at the Losail circuit and the fourth under floodlights. Yamaha and Ducati have each had three MotoGP victories at the Losail circuit. Honda's single MotoGP victory in Qatar was back in 2004 with Sete Gibernau.

8 andndash;There are eight British riders on the full-time Grand Prix entry list for 2011 across all three classes. The last time that as many as eight British riders competed in Grand Prix racing on a full-time basis was 1989.

5 - Aprilia riders have won the 125cc race in Qatar for the past five years. Prior to that Derbi won the 125cc GP at Qatar in 2004 and KTM in 2005.

5 andndash; Rossi will be aiming to win in the premier-class on the fifth different motorcycle, having already won on the Honda NSR500, Honda RC211V, Yamaha 1000cc M1 and Yamaha 800cc M1.

4th andndash; Suzuki's best result at the Qatar GP is a fourth place finish by John Hopkins in 2007.

Honda pair of Dovizioso andamp; Pedrosa

3 andndash; Honda have had only three podium finishes in the MotoGP class at Losail since the introduction of the 800cc capacity limit in 2007, and on each occasion the result has been third: Pedrosa in 2007 and 2008 and Dovizioso last year.

1 andndash; Of the seven MotoGP races held in Qatar, only one has been won from pole position: Casey Stoner in 2009 on a Ducati.

1 andndash; Honda has only previously had one MotoGP pole at the Losail circuit: Casey Stoner in 2006 on just his second appearance in the MotoGP class.

Sarath Kumar - First Indian rider to venture into the cut-throat world of MotoGP racing

1 andndash; New entrant to the 125cc class Sarath Kumar, is the first ever rider from India to become a full-time Grand Prix rider.

Come the opening round of the 2011 World Championship MotoGP season and Indian giant Mahindra andamp; Mahindra will embark upon a path never tread before by any Indian corporate in the world of motorcycle road racing. Mahindra will be entering the 125cc class of the MotoGP world championships with its very own team. Contrary to what anyone would expect the reasons for this, it is a unique opportunity where Mahindra has employed all its strengths across companies in its portfolio as to showcase its technological muscle and its marketing savvy, which would by extension highlight its competitive capability in the global sphere. And of course to up its brand value and exposure as it sets out to announce to an unbelievably large global audience what the group stands for.

The World MotoGP Championship is the blue riband of motorcycle sport, akin to what F1 means to four-wheelers. While Mahindra has entered the vibrant Indian motorcycle market, first by buying over Kinetic and then adding its very own 110cc commuter motorcycle to its small but ever expanding range, the bigger potential is what Mahindra has overseas. Its acquisition of Italian specialist engineering firm Engines Engineering a couple of years ago is key, not just for its motorcycle ambitions in India but also its key engineering skills base across its automotive brands.

Engines Engineering has been very active in the sport, having made racing machines and also specialized components for some of the world's best known racing teams. In fact, it also has been responsible for very many specialist motorcycles built for racing by another Indian two-wheeler maker who however has never dared venture forth beyond our shores. Technology is key driver for this move into the sport and an application has been made to the World MotoGP Championship series promoter Dorna for an entry in the 125cc class for 2011. It is expected that the team will be known as Mahindra and it will enter a team of two riders in the 2011 season. The bikes, the riders and the team management would be made up of specialists from within Mahindra andamp; Mahindra and the team would be based at Engines Engineering facility in Italy.

The prime objective is not to just highlight Mahindra as a motorcycle maker but to use the exercise meaningfully to derive technological skills, enhance managerial capabilities on the move, and perform on a strong basis against the best rivals in the business. Speaking of rivals Mahindra can expect to face firmly entrenched bike makers like Piaggio subsidiaries Gilera and Derbi plus also dominant class leader Aprilia.


The entire exercise is not meant to be one of a hobbyists' nature but to compete for top honours and present Mahindra as a globally emerging engineering and technology giant. Group companies like Mahindra's Engineering Services Division, its IT divisions, Systech specialist auto components division and also of course Mahindra 2Wheelers would all be involved in this unique exercise which is without parallel in the Indian automotive industry.

The World MotoGP Championship is also the one which is beamed across the globe, just as F1 is, and it closely follows F1 in the audience it caters to. The 2011 season will be the last for the 125cc two-stroke class for in 2012 this class changes to the Moto3 category for four-stroke motorcycles and this would also be a good test bed for the firm to perfect its approach to small capacity mass-produced bikes which are penciled into the Mahindra product range around the same time. Factor in the fact that there would be an Indian MotoGP Grand Prix in 2012 at the Jaypee circuit in Noida, this Mahindra move may be coincidental but it dovetails well in the overall scheme of things.

Given the exposure Mahindra Satyam garnered during the recently held FIFA World Cup, the group is clear that it would marry its technological capabilities with a series that will place it firmly on the same platform as world leaders Piaggio, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Ducati. And that as they say is one audacious but very do-able thing. Wonder why the other entrenched Indian bike makers never opened their minds to