MotoGP: Preview - Valencian Grand Prix.

[Rory Phoulorie]

Wednesday, 31st October 2007

Casey Stoner has the chance to end a memorable MotoGP campaign by matching Valentino Rossi and Giacomo Agostini with 11 wins in a single season, at this weekend's Valencian Grand Prix.


Only Stoner's fellow Australian Mick Doohan has scored more, taking 12 victories during 1997, and - although in only his second season - Stoner has shown Doohan-like dominance on his way to comfortably winning the first ever 800cc title for Ducati.

Last year at Valencia, it was another Australian leading the way for Ducati. Stepping in for the injured Sete Gibernau, Troy Bayliss took victory from second on the grid, ahead of team-mate Loris Capirossi. Stoner retired from the race on lap seven, but has previously sampled the top step of the Valencia podium in the 2003 125GP - his first ever world championship win.

Former seven times world champion Rossi has bad memories of the tight and demanding track, having thrown away an eight point lead when he fell during the 2006 title showdown - handing Nicky Hayden the crown. But the Fiat Yamaha star won at Valencia during 2003 and 2004 - and just a single point in the 30-lap race on Sunday would at least ensure second place in the championship over Spaniard Dani Pedrosa.

Honda's leading rider has started the last three grands prix from pole position and won three times in Valencia in front of his home fans in both 125 and 250cc races - but never in MotoGP.

The battle for fourth place is much closer with just 19 points separating Marco Melandri, John Hopkins, Chris Vermeulen and Capirossi. For three of those riders it will be their last ride for their current team. Melandri leaves
Honda
Gresini to join Stoner at Ducati, while Hopkins leaves Rizla Suzuki to join Kawasaki and is replaced by Capirossi who leaves Ducati.

The changes continue further down the championship standings, with Randy de Puniet making his last appearance for Kawasaki before joining Honda LCR, while Spaniard Toni Elias rides the Gresini Honda for the last time before joining Frenchman Sylvain Guintoli at Pramac d'Antin Ducati. Elias will be replaced by Japanese rider Shinya Nakano.

Meanwhile two MotoGP veterans, Brazilian Alex Barros and Spaniard Carlos Checa, look set to make their very last grand prix appearances on Sunday.

37-year-old Barros made his grand prix debut in the 80cc class back in 1986 and has competed in 275 grands prix. He's won seven premier class races, finished on the podium 32 times and has started from pole on five occasions. With his d'Antin seat now taken, Barros is yet to announce his 2008 plans.

Checa has ridden in 219 grands prix, winning two and finishing on the podium 24 times. The current Honda LCR rider started three times from pole and will ride in the World Superbike Championship with Ten Kate Honda next season.

Another former MotoGP race winner set to leave the class is Makoto Tamada. The Japanese took two wins, four podiums and three poles as a Bridgestone-shod Honda rider during 2003 and 2004, but failed to adapt to Michelin tyres with just one podium over the next two seasons. Tamada has taken a best finish of eighth this year with Dunlop Yamaha Tech 3, which will field Colin Edwards and James Toseland in 2008.

Meanwhile, the BMW M Award - decided by adding together each rider's qualifying times throughout the season, plus at the official Jerez test - will be decided on Saturday. Stoner currently leads Rossi by half a second in the chase for an M3 Coupe.

Following the race, a number of MotoGP teams will stay on for testing with their new bikes and rider line-ups. One of those present will be 20-year-old Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo, who will sign off his 250cc career this weekend before joining Rossi in the factory Yamaha MotoGP team for 2008.

The Fortuna Aprilia rider chases his tenth grand prix victory of the season after retaining his 250cc title for the second year in succession with third place last time out in Malaysia. Also making their last 250cc appearances before joining MotoGP next year will be Andrea Dovizioso and Alex de Angelis.

The 125cc World Championship will be decided in the 24-lap final encounter of the season. Gabor Talmacsi could bring the very first world championship to Hungary although local hero and team-mate Hector Faubel will do everything to spoil the party.

Talmacsi leads his Bancaja Aspar Aprilia team-mate by ten points after winning in Malaysia but Faubel will have the massive crowd and plenty of local Spanish riders helping his cause. It promises to be some battle.


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