Suzuki positive of winter progress

Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen are confident that the factory Suzuki team will make significant progress with the GSV-R over the winter following a successful three days of testing at Phillip Island in Australia this week, before the testing ban comes into force until the end of January.

The pair sampled a host of prototype parts for the 2009 bike and also conducted two race simulation runs each to test next season's proposed single spec Bridgestone tyre.

"I really enjoyed the test because we tried a lot of things and were able to get through a lot, which produced very clear and positive results," said Capirossi. "We compared many things, tested two new chassis and lots of new parts, and we now understand much better how they work together.

"We were able to compare the old and new bikes and the 2009 prototype is definitely better, especially when the tyre is worn we can maintain a better lap-time, so this is a good step. We still have some work to do - especially to improve the engine still further – but it has been a really positive three days for us."

Vermeulen added: "It was a good test and I think I managed to get almost 250 laps done in the three days, which is about 1100km.

"We had a lot of new parts from Suzuki to try including, front forks, rear linkages, new frames and swinging arms and we also tested some control tyres from Bridgestone - which look like they will be the spec tyre for next year - and they worked pretty well with the bike straight away.

"We have definitely taken a step forward with the bike. I am really looking forward to the first test of next year and being able to use the new stuff that Suzuki will be able to develop from the results we have had here."

Capirossi looking ahead to 2009

Shorthanded Quakes stay positive

Suzuki rev up for final test of 2008

Rossi: Fastest time mentally important

Valentino Rossi says it was psychologically important to set the fastest time in the final test of 2008 at the Jerez circuit.

The world champion worked with both the 2008 and a prototype of the 2009 Yamaha at the Spanish circuit and just edged Honda rival Dani Pedrosa near the end of the final day of testing.

Pedrosa was also riding a 2009 prototype and Rossi reckons it was important to beat the Japanese squad to the top of the times ahead of the testing ban.

"We've done a good job. I concentrated on the new bike, and managed to end 2008 ahead of everyone. It's been an extraordinary and wonderful year for me, I'll remember it forever," Rossi was quoted as saying by Gazzetta dello Sport.

"From a certain point of view, to be quickest here meant nothing, but from a psychological aspect it's important.

"Indeed, when I got the fastest time, Pedrosa got back on the track to beat me, but didn't manage to. Going on vacation in first place is a lot more relaxing."

He added: "We tried different parts for the engine and worked on the frame, and in the end we found a set-up I liked. After this test, they'll have a lot more indications to build the 2009 M1 in Japan.

"I was the quickest, but Pedrosa was overall more consistent than me with the hard tyre. That means Honda looks strong, even though Dovizioso didn't go too well.

"Stoner, Ducati's strongest rider, is missing, but the good laptimes set by Hayden and test rider Guareschi confirm that the GP9 has improved.

"The first proper test with the new tyres went fairly well. Surely it will be difficult for Bridgestone to choose the right tyre to bring to each track. The problem is that two compounds only are too few. The riders asked for one more choice, but didn't get it."

Rossi ends Jerez test on top

U.S. dominant in World Cup qualifier

Kawasaki complete Phillip Island test

The Kawasaki team on Friday completed their three-day test at the Phillip Island circuit, where the Japanese squad were again welcomed by poor weather.

The circuit was again hit by rain at night and so it was damp in the morning, with track temperatures lower than expected, something that caught test rider Olivier Jacque out.

The Frenchman suffered a big crash late in the afternoon, although luckily he escaped injury.

Despite the accident, Jacque was happy with the work done during the test.

"These three days at Phillip Island have been positive, because we now know how much work we need to do to improve the bike before we return here to continue testing in the New Year," he said.

"We tried a slightly different engine today, which had some positive points, but we're still struggling a little bit with the front-end feeling.

"I had a big crash late on in the day after the rear came round on me through the right-hander at Hayshed. It takes some time to warm up the right-hand side of the tyre here, and although I'd been really careful up to this point, I must have just given it a bit too much gas on cold tarmac and down I went.

"It was a big impact, but apart from a few bruises, I walked away uninjured. It was scary though!"

Teammates John Hopkins and Marco Melandri had a more positive day, the Italian covering 79 laps as he continued acclimatising to the team.

Hopkins, meanwhile, managed to complete long runs despite having to adapt his riding style to compensate for the injuries he is suffering.

The Anglo-American rider will fly to the United States, where he'll undergo surgery on Wednesday to remove the metal plates from his left foot, ankle and hand.

"Today was more positive for me," he said. "The injuries weren't such a big problem, although I had to adapt my riding style because I still can't put any pressure on the left footpeg.

"We found a pretty good set-up on the bike and my lap times were pretty consistent over the long runs we did for Bridgestone, and it's this consistency that's important to our development programme right now. It's been good working with Marco; we work well together and I'm sure we'll be pushing each other all the way once we start testing and racing again next year.

"Now I'm off straight back to America, where I'll have surgery on Wednesday to remove all the metal from my various injuries. As well as taking the plates out of my left foot and ankle, Doctor Ting will also remove the plate I've had in my left hand for the past three years. I'll be about two kilograms lighter!

"My plan is to take it easy after the surgery, to make sure I'm fully recovered, and then train my butt off ready for the new season."

Pedrosa blames injuries for slump

Suzuki rev up for final test of 2008

Recurrent injury hampers Hopkins’ test

Rossi ends Jerez test on top

Valentino Rossi moved to the top of the times on the second and final day of MotoGP testing at the Jerez circuit in Spain.

The Yamaha rider, using both this year's and a prototype of next year's bike, posted a best time of 1:39.429 to outpace yesterday's pace-setter Dani Pedrosa by just 0.018 seconds.

Several riders started their work late before of an overnight rain had left the track wet.

Rossi and Honda's Pedrosa were the only two men who lapped the Spanish circuit in less than 100 seconds, with Jorge Lorenzo already in the 1:40s in the second works Yamaha.

The Honda Gresini team showed promising pace, with Toni Elias in fourth ahead of teammate Alex de Angelis, who completed the top five.

Nicky Hayden was sixth fastest on the only works Ducati on track, although the American finished with the exact same time as de Angelis.

"We've made a big improvement today," said Hayden. "It was important to have back-to-back days with similar conditions because at Valencia we only had one dry day and we weren't able to check that the changes we made to the bike overnight had worked.

"Today my feeling with the bike was much better from the first run and it is important that we've taken over a second and a half off my best time from yesterday.

"We are still a second off the top guys and I know the last second is the most difficult to find but at the same time we're less than a tenth off third fastest and the team is working well, I feel more and more comfortable with the bike and tyres and I can head home with a clear mind. I was pleased that Casey wanted to be here at the test.

"It has been useful to speak with him and Filippo (Preziosi) and it shows how tight the team is and how well everybody wants to do next season."

Mika Kallio was the quickest of the rookies in seventh, while veteran Sete Gibernau was ninth with the new Onde 2000 team.

MotoGP's testing ban kicks off at the start of next month. Pos Rider Team Time Laps 1. Valentino Rossi Fiat Yamaha Team 1:39.429 54 2. Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda 1:39.447 + 0.018 47 3. Jorge Lorenzo Fiat Yamaha Team 1:40.426 + 0.997 58 4. Toni Elias San Carlo Honda Gresini 1:40.448 + 1.019 56 5. Alex De Angelis San Carlo Honda Gresini 1:40.486 + 1.057 49 6. Nicky Hayden Ducati Marlboro Team 1:40.486 + 1.057 70 7. Mika Kallio Alice Team 1:40.564 + 1.135 54 8. Colin Edwards Tech3 Yamaha 1:40.604 + 1.175 39 9. Sete Gibernau ONDE 2000 Ducati 1:40.856 + 1.427 48 10. Andrea Dovizioso Repsol Honda 1:40.966 + 1.537 46 11. Niccolo Canepa Alice Team 1:41.077 + 1.648 48 12. James Toseland Tech3 Yamaha 1:41.740 + 2.311 45 13. Tonio Guareschi Ducati Marlboro Team 1:42.906 + 3.477 46 14. Yuki Takahashi Scot Racing Team 1:42.918 + 3.489 60

Pedrosa quickest in Jerez test

Top of SuperLiga table clash on tap

Rain hinders Kawasaki in Australia

The Kawasaki team were hindered by rain on their second day of testing at the Phillip Island circuit on Thursday.

The Japanese squad continued with the development work of their 2009 bike, with John Hopkins, Marco Melandri and test driver Olivier Jacque on track.

All three drivers, however, were forced to stop their testing early due to brief rain showers.

Melandri was also hampered by a crash but he still managed 64 laps with a best time of 1:31.800. The Italian, whose bike will be rebuilt for tomorrow, was uninjured.

Teammate Hopkins, meanwhile, was again riding in pain due to the ankle injury he suffered back in June.

"I am suffering quite badly with the pain from my ankle, as I just can't put weight on the pegs when accelerating out of the turns," said Hopkins. "We've done a lot of icing and strapping, but it's still very painful to ride.

"This test is important for us, and today we've spent a lot of time testing tyres using the same set-up we had in Valencia, as this gives us a reference point.

"We're not chasing lap times at the minute, particularly with having an injury, but we've definitely found some interesting results and gathered the all-important data we need.

"Hopefully with a bit more rest we can get out on track tomorrow for the last time this year to conclude our test with plenty of laps under our belt."

The team continue testing tomorrow.

Rested Revs shoot for clean sheet

Recurrent injury hampers Hopkins’ test

West critical of Kawasaki

Win worth wait for victorious Orange

Stoner to start training in two weeks

Casey Stoner says his recovery is progressing well following surgery to his wrist, and the former MotoGP champion will begin training soon.

The Ducati rider underwent surgery on 30 October and has been unable to ride a bike or train since then.

Stoner has stayed in Europe for the first phase of his recovery but will now travel to Australia.

An x-ray on the wrist joint carried out in Modena yesterday was positive and Stoner will start light training in around two weeks' time.

"Yesterday the doctors told me that everything is going okay with my wrist, now I must wait and see," said Stoner. "With the new cast they did yesterday I will be able to start some training on a pushbike so that is positive.

"In a few days I'll be heading back to Australia and it will be nice to be home for a while."

The Australian admitted it was awkward to miss this week's test at Jerez, where only teammate Nicky Hayden will be in action for Ducati.

"It was a very strange feeling to be watching today instead of riding. This is probably the longest period I've gone without riding a bike at all since I was three years old! I'll definitely have a lot of motivation to get back on track in February.

"It is good to watch the bikes on track together with my engineers and then speak about it with Filippo (Preziosi) and Nicky, to share our feelings and see what we can do to improve our machine for next season."

Ever-positive attitude key for Zayner

Stoner could undergo early surgery

Stoner undergoes wrist surgery

Pedrosa quickest in Jerez test

Dani Pedrosa topped the times on the opening day of the official MotoGP test at the Jerez circuit, where most teams are carrying out the final test of the year.

The Spaniard was riding two 2009 RC212V prototype bikes, while Repsol Honda teammate Andre Dovizioso ran back-to-back tests between a 2009 prototype and a 2008 spec RCV.

Pedrosa was the only rider to lap the Spanish track in less than one minute and 40 seconds, on a cold and windy day.

"They resurfaced the whole track in August and the new asphalt is very grippy and smooth, so I was able to do some good laptimes despite the cold temperatures and the strong winds which we had to deal with," said Pedrosa.

"Today we focused mainly on the engine, but the low temperatures meant that we started quite late this morning and stopped quite early this afternoon, so I need another day of testing to give a better evaluation of the latest engine configuration which is quite different from before.

"We also did some work on electronics, working to improve corner-entry performance and so on, but I think we need some more time on the motorcycle to really understand this latest engine configuration."

World champion Valentino Rossi was second quickest, albeit more than half a second behind Pedrosa.

Rossi was also using two bikes during the day, working with the 2008 and the 2009 prototype machines.

"I am happy about this first day because my performance has been good from the beginning and I have been fast all day," Rossi said. "Unfortunately it's been quite cold and there was only three hours when it was possible to go fast, but we were able to get quite a lot of work done in this short space of time.

"We have tried some different things on the old 2008 bike and we were able to make some improvements and then we also tested several new things on the prototype bike, and I am happy because I did my fastest lap with this bike. Bridgestone have brought good tyres here; so far I don't see any problems with the new rule and it seems they're doing a good job."

Teammate Jorge Lorenzo was third quickest ahead of Colin Edwards, also riding a Yamaha. Alex de Angelis completed the top five on the San Carlo Honda Gresini bike.

Nicky Hayden was the only works Ducati rider on track as Casey Stoner continues his recovery following the surgery on his wrist.

Hayden finished down in 10th position, but was still pleased with his day's work.

"It has been nice to get back on the bike and get on with the job in decent conditions," said Hayden. "The new surface is perfect, the bumps have disappeared and the grip improved with every lap. They've done a great job here at Jerez. I'm quite happy with my feeling with the bike.

"The laptimes came down with virtually every outing and that's positive, even though I'm still clearly a good way off the pace. We've got a lot of work ahead but the team is really close and we know that bike has the potential, so all we can do is keep working.

"Both tyre specs that we tried today worked well, although the softer one was obviously the preferable option in these temperatures. They've got no problem in terms of durability and I'm slowly starting to get used to the feeling the Bridgestones give back. Hopefully the good weather continues tomorrow."

The test resumes today. Pos Rider Team Time Laps 1. Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda 1:39.525 41 2. Valentino Rossi Fiat Yamaha 1:40.135 39 3. Jorge Lorenzo Fiat Yamaha 1:41.163 51 4. Colin Edwards Tech 3 Yamaha 1:41.390 49 5. Alex De Angelis San Carlo Honda Gresini 1:41.468 53 6. James Toseland Tech 3 Yamaha 1:41.539 50 7. Andrea Dovizioso Repsol Honda 1:41.655 48 8. Toni Elias San Carlo Honda Gresini 1:41.679 74 9. Niccolo Canepa Alice Team Ducati 1:42.074 50 10. Nicky Hayden Ducati Marlboro 1:42.098 69 11. Mika Kallio Alice Team Ducati 1:42.837 58 12. Sete Gibernau Onde 2000 Ducati 1:42.943 40 13. Vittoriano Guareschi Ducati 1:43.642 36 14. Yuki Takahashi Scot Racing Honda 1:44.360 64

Longtime rivals meet in postseason for first time

Pedrosa tops post-Le Mans test

Stoner quickest in Valencia test

Recurrent injury hampers Hopkins' test

John Hopkins struggled in testing at Phillip Island today after aggravating the leg injuries he sustained at Assen in June.

The Kawasaki rider missed several races in the middle of the season following his qualifying crash at the Dutch track, and had a metal plate inserted in his left ankle. The unusually high mileage notched up in today's test then caused the pain from the injury to flare up again.

"We ride a lot more during testing than we do on a race weekend, and that has caused me some problems today," said Hopkins.

"The left knee and ankle I damaged in the crash at Assen has been really painful. Every time I change gear the tendons in my ankle rub across the metal plate that was inserted to fix the bones, and this causes the ankle to swell up a lot.

"My knee also kept locking out, especially on the left-hand corners, so I'm not in great physical shape."

Team boss Michael Bartholemy said Hopkins' problems were exacerbated by jet leg.

"John was not in the best of condition today; he was short on sleep as a result of jet lag and his Assen injuries were obviously causing him some pain on the bike," he said. "Hopefully, after a good night's sleep tonight, he'll be firing on all cylinders again tomorrow."

Kawasaki and Suzuki have travelled to Phillip Island for three days of testing this week, while most of the MotoGP field will be in action at Jerez prior to the winter testing ban coming into force.

Test rider Olivier Jacque was the fastest of the Kawasaki trio, setting a 1:32.4 on a 2009 development bike, with Marco Melandri and the struggling Hopkins 0.1 and 0.9 seconds slower respectively. Suzuki did not issue times for Chris Vermeulen and Loris Capirossi.

Hopkins fractures ankle in crash

Hopkins to undergo further checks

Suzuki rev up for final test of 2008

The Rizla Suzuki team are revving up for the final test of 2008 as they head to the Phillip Island circuit.

Both Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen will be working at the Australian circuit alongside the Kawasaki team, while the other MotoGP squads travel to Jerez to test.

The Suzuki duo will be joined by test rider Nobuatsu Aoki for the three-day test, with the Japanese ready to assist them team with the assessment of 2009 prototype chassis and engine parts.

"This will be a very important test for us as we will be able to see where we are at the moment for next year," said Capirossi. "Suzuki has been working really hard since the last test at Valencia and we will have lots of new parts to try out at Phillip Island.

"We have just done some wind tunnel testing in Japan and with the data we got there it will be interesting to see what the new aerodynamics will be like. We need to make the most of these three days as we don't have as many tests over the winter.

"It will also be good to have Nobu there to gives us some extra info and try out all the newest parts to see their durability and performance."

Vermeulen backed the team's decision to travel to Australia instead of going to Spain, where he believes the cooler weather would have not helped them.

"It is good to be going to Phillip Island rather than Jerez, because I am sure the weather will be better and we'll be able to get a lot more work done," Vermeulen added.

"This is only the second test since the single tyre rule was introduced so it will be interesting to see how the new compound we now have to use performs at a circuit that is always tough on tyres.

"We have had some problems at Phillip Island, but if we find something that works well there then it will almost certainly work even better at other tracks.

"It feels like a long while since we last tested the bike and it will be interesting to see all the new parts that the factory has got for us to try - hopefully they will be a big step in the right direction!"

Hayden tops shortened Valencia test

Cuba hosts U.S. in World Cup match

Hoops hoping to reignite attack

Suzuki hopeful of good race performance

Capirossi looking ahead to 2009

Bike electronics set to be restricted

Carmelo Ezpeleta, head of MotoGP commercial rights-holder Dorna, has hinted that the next major regulation change will be to decrease the importance of rider aid electronics in the championship.

MotoGP is introducing a single tyre supplier next year in a bid to reduce speeds and improve the racing, but many riders have also called for limitations on electronics, as they believe systems like traction control are harming the spectacle and making the MotoGP machines too easy to handle.

Although Ezpeleta warned that there would be no changes in the short-term, he confirmed that rider aids were the next topic on the agenda now that the tyre regulations were fixed.

"We need to get down to discuss it, as it's been done in every motor racing series," he told Motosprint.

"I've asked the manufacturers to look for a solution, to start talking, but we won't see anything in 2009. We'll need more time.

"However, regulating electronics will be the next step."

He denied that the current regulations had made recent seasons less exciting, though, and insisted that the 2008 battles between Valentino Rossi, Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa had been an excellent advert for MotoGP.

"2008 has been a great championship: Valentino, Casey and Dani did incredible things," said Ezpeleta.

"It must not be thought that Valentino won easily, he made incredible efforts and he won thanks to his genius. And he has shown his genius to the entire world, so this is a spectacle of the highest level. You only need to remember the Laguna Seca race...

"This was a season where Valentino's strategy counted a lot, and he won because he put Stoner under pressure. And if we add to this Pedrosa, who until mid-season was ahead, the level this year was extremely high. So the title for us has extraordinary value."

Ezpeleta is also confident that the Bridgestone control tyres will improve the racing next year, especially after the successful first tests of the new rubber at Valencia earlier this month.

"Looks like the control tyre is becoming less scary now," he said.

"I've spoken to the riders, and they've all told me they're satisfied. I really think everything will be fine.

"I have lots of confidence in the control tyre, also in order to see the riders closer to each other and to see races with more overtaking.

"So I expect the control tyre not only to reduce costs, but also to improve the spectacle."

He also confirmed that the compounds used in the Valencia test would be retained for 2009.

"If there should be conditions where we need to make some adjustments, then we'll do them for sure, but in general the regulation is the one experimented at Valencia," Ezpeleta said.

Burgess: Control tyres won’t slow Rossi

Ezpeleta defends single tyre move

Rossi: Electronic aids make bikes boring

Lenhart’s MLS career delays charity work

D.C. United disappointed with draw

Lorenzo says no title pressure for 2009

Jorge Lorenzo says there is no pressure on him to fight for the championship in 2009 following his sensational debut season in MotoGP.

The Spanish rider, a two-time 250cc champion, finished in fourth place in this year's championship, winning a race and scoring six podium finishes and four pole positions.

Despite his showing in only his first year in the category, however, the Yamaha rider says the goal for 2009 would be to just improve on his rookie season.

"There have been no objectives set out, and nobody is demanding that we win the title," he told the official MotoGP website.

"I think that if I can improve my results then it will be an extraordinary season."

The Spaniard admitted there is still work to do on the new Yamaha, having tested it for just one day following the end of the season at Valencia.

"I have only had the chance to try the new bike for a day, with the intention of adjusting to the new regulations," he added.

"The bike isn't working perfectly, so in Jerez we will be working above all with the chassis, now that we won't have the engine until Sepang."

Melandri admits he considered quitting

Marco Melandri has revealed that he was tempted to retire from MotoGP as he struggled to get to grips with the Ducati this season.

The Italian had a terrible year at the 2007 champion team, and has now left for Kawasaki.

While his Ducati teammate Casey Stoner won six races and finished second in the championship, Melandri was a lowly 17th in the standings and only took one top five finish.

He admitted that things got so bad by mid-season he began to think about quitting the sport.

"It's been a learning year due to disappointments, but I really can't complain because in June I'd predicted the end of a life stage," he wrote on his personal website.

"I seriously risked giving up during the bad times in my career and throwing it all in."

Melandri felt he had done his best to acclimatise to the Ducati and to keep his motivation intact despite his problems.

"It's not that this year I didn't try my best; on the contrary, I tried everything I could to start every race as if I was going to win," he said.

"But when everything goes wrong and it's meant to be, there's nothing you can do to change fate.

"One thing I've learnt is that at times it doesn't help to ask yourself what's not working and who or what's wrong, because it doesn't improve the future and only makes you worry more and isn't helpful. I believe that at times it's best to let things be, knowing that you've done the best you can."

But while admitting that he came close to turning his back on MotoGP, Melandri says he is now extremely motivated for his new challenge at Kawasaki.

"One day something clicked in my head and I realised that if loads of people still believe in me then I should as well," he said.

"Now I see it differently, it's a bit like a wild card or an added extra because I really thought I was at a crossroads. Now I feel really good, my work is my great passion and I'll give it all I've got because I know I'll have a great time."

Watson impresses against former team

Melandri: Kawasaki will suit my style

Burgess: Control tyres won't slow Rossi

Jerry Burgess, Valentino Rossi's chief engineer, says the switch to single tyre rules in MotoGP next season will only make the Italian more dominant.

In an interview with Italian magazine Motosprint, Burgess said he believed the series' commercial boss Carmelo Ezpeleta had promoted control tyres as a method of improving the racing because the Michelin runners had been significantly slower than the Bridgestone riders at some Grands Prix in recent years.

But Burgess reckons Rossi's rivals would be better off trying to beat him with different equipment.

"Carmelo is trying to orchestrate everything, including the spectacle, but the problem is that Valentino is better and always will be," the Yamaha engineer said.

"Casey (Stoner) and Dani (Pedrosa) are not at his level, so making regulations to even out the playing field is useless. Valentino remains always the number one."

Bridgestone will supply the whole MotoGP field next year after Michelin decided not to tender for the single tyre contract.

Rossi had previously switched from Michelin to Bridgestone at the end of 2007, with Pedrosa following suit for the final races this season.

Burgess said he normally agreed with all Rossi's decisions but felt his enthusiasm for control tyres was misguided.

"Usually I do (agree), but there are times when I don't: the things Ezpeleta has got into many people's heads, Valentino's too, I don't agree with," he said.

"The single-tyre rule is a big mistake.

"This is a sport for prototypes where technology gets developed, so we need the confrontation between the highest possible number of technical partners. Not the other way around.

"We must not force the teams to make certain technical choices, also because the teams usually make the right choices on their own.

"You only need to look at this tyre case: Ducati, Yamaha and Honda have all gone for Bridgestone autonomously. No need to be forced by a rule book."

Clark experiences highs and lows of soccer

Michelin won’t bid to supply 2009 tyres

Dovizioso confident he can match Pedrosa

Andrea Dovizioso says his main focus for the 2009 season will be to step on the podium as much as possible, rather on trying to finish ahead of teammate Dani Pedrosa.

The Italian rider has switched from the satellite JiR Scot squad to the works Honda team for 2009, when he will be partnering former 125 and 250 world champion Pedrosa, who overshadowed teammate Nicky Hayden in the past two seasons.

Dovizioso, who made his MotoGP debut this year, says he is confident he will be able to be a match for the Spaniard.

"To finish ahead of Dani would be important, and I am confident about my chances, but I will be mainly focused on stepping on the podium any time I can, being consistent with my new Honda HRC throughout the season," said Dovizioso.

The Italian is also hopeful he will have a good relationship with Pedrosa.

"Dani is a former 125cc and 250cc world champion and a great rider, but first of all he is a good guy, probably even shyer than I am," Dovizioso was quoted as saying by the official MotoGP website.

"Maybe this is the reason why we don't have a great feeling yet, but we will have a lot of time to know each other.

"I think right now he is not reaching his level on the road, maybe also because of his manager," added Dovizioso, referring to Alberto Puig, who had a war of words with Hayden earlier this year.

MotoGP: Pedrosa disappointed by gap to Stoner

Chivas USA struggling to finish

Americans confident going forward

Dovizioso hints at works Honda deal

Pedrosa: 'Stoner was better than me'

Dani Pedrosa admitted that Casey Stoner had simply been 'better' than him after being defeated by the Australian rider at the Valencia Grand Prix.

Spaniard Pedrosa made a better start than the Ducati rider and forced his Repsol Honda into the lead at the first corner. He could not hang on though, losing his advantage before the end of the lap and remaining second for the rest of the race.

"It would have been an amazing day for a win," Pedrosa told the BBC. "But Stoner was a little bit faster every lap - one tenth per lap faster every time. Today he was better than me.

"But I'm happy to keep improving. We were on top all weekend, even in wet conditions, so it's not so bad for the end of the season."

Despite his defeat, Pedrosa said that he was happy to have ended his season competitively after a mid-season blip that saw him score just one point in three races and drop out of the championship fight.

"It's good to be back at the top," he added. "Because in the middle of the season I had some bad feelings, and now to be constantly at the top is a good thing for us."

MotoGP: Pedrosa disappointed by gap to Stoner

RSL, Morales agree to extension

Hayden delighted after maiden Ducati test

Nicky Hayden was delighted after his first test with the Ducati team on Monday, the American claiming he felt comfortable on the bike right away.

Hayden enjoyed his first taste of the Italian bike following the end of his relationship with Honda after the Valencia Grand Prix last Sunday.

The American completed a few laps with this year's GP8 bike before switching his focus to the GP9, also tested by teammate Casey Stoner.

Hayden finished around 1.5 seconds off Stoner's pace, but the former world champion admitted he felt right at home from the beginning, although he accepted there is still a lot of work ahead.

"It has been a very intense day and full of many things to test and to understand, but it was exactly as I expected it to be," said Hayden.

"I did just one run with the GP8 and then I switched completely to the GP9. Obviously there is a lot of work to do but I am happy, it was a good day that has allowed me to understand that the bike has good potential and, more than anything, I can say that I really enjoyed myself.

"This first day has given me an appreciation of the bike and the team. One of the things that really impressed me the most was the acceleration. I found myself pretty comfortable on the bike, and I really didn't make a lot of changes to levers and handlebars.

"We have not even changed a lot the settings, we have just made some small changes, some mapping settings, a couple of tyres, in order to try and understand the direction of the bike and to feel comfortable on it".

The Valencia test continues today.

Hayden confirmed at Ducati for 2009

Hayden rues costly warm-up crash

Nicky Hayden brought his Honda career to an end with a fighting fifth place in the Valencia Grand Prix, but felt his result could have been better had a morning accident not forced him to use his spare bike.

The 27-year-old American, had a mixed weekend in Spain, qualifying brilliantly on the front row for the Repsol team, but then crashing in warm-up and losing out on precious dry running as he tried to find a good race set-up.

"We started out the weekend like a bit of a fairytale - fastest in the first three sessions, so we were off to a good start, I think the conditions were better for us then," said Hayden.

"Yesterday afternoon we were third and on the front row, then this morning we had a big off which probably didn't help things. I just lost the front at turn nine, maybe conditions were a bit too cool for that front tyre.

"I had to swap bikes for the race and my crew had to change a lot of stuff: calipers, swingarm and so on. My other bike didn't feel so smooth. It wasn't too bad but I definitely liked my first bike better, but that was my fault."

Without his number one bike, fifth place was all the Ducati-bound former world champion could manage, Hayden proving powerless to resist the advances of Valentino Rossi and Andrea Dovizioso during the race.

"In the race I didn't quite get the start I wanted and those guys were just quicker in the beginning, my rhythm wasn't quick enough. It obviously would've been better to finish my last race with Honda a bit stronger," he added.

"I rode hard this weekend, now I'm looking forward to doing something different. I have to finish off by saying thanks to my team, to Honda, to Michelin and to everybody here. They made me a world champ, I'm grateful to them all."

Repsol Honda team manager Kazuhiko Yamano thanked Hayden for his efforts over the past six years and 99 races with the squad, which included three grand prix wins and the 2006 world title.

"Nicky did a good job this weekend," said Yamano. "He had quite a heavy crash this morning, but in the race he pushed as hard as he could.

"He was fastest in three practice sessions, qualified on the front row of the grid and I know he very much wanted to finish on the podium. My thanks to Nicky for a wonderful six seasons with Repsol Honda, my thanks also to the team and to Michelin."

Hayden: Tyre issues a learning experience

Lorenzo: China crash changed my year

Jorge Lorenzo believes his crash in practice for this year's Chinese Grand Prix ended his hopes of fighting for the MotoGP title in his first year.

The Spaniard began his debut season in the top category with a string of pole positions and podiums, and took his maiden win in the third round at Estoril. But the fall in China began a series of accidents that ruined his season.

He fractured his ankle in the crash at Shanghai and more falls followed in the next three rounds at Le Mans, Mugello and Barcelona. Another crash followed at Sachsenring before he broke his foot in a first-lap crash at Laguna Seca.

"I definitely could have finished with more points than I did, that's for sure," Lorenzo told Reuters. "What position I couldn't say, but I think that the fall in China hugely changed the championship... my championship."

He eventually recovered to finished fourth in the championship but expects to improve next season.

"I fell many times this season and that suggests I fall all the time, but that is not true," he said. "I remember that when I started in 125cc, I fell a lot in the first year but after that I fell hardly ever. I may make mistakes, but I think next year I won't fall so much."

Lorenzo believes he will be in the running to take the crown away from Valentino Rossi next season.

"Why not?" he added. "Valentino is an amazing rider but it is not impossible to beat him. (Nicky) Hayden and (Casey) Stoner did it.

"I can only promise to work hard and have ambition."

Ekpo, Nigeria win silver in Beijing

Earthquakes shake, rattle Revolution

McCarty bringing Olympic experience home

MotoGP plans race in Singapore

Singapore could hold a MotoGP round as early as 2011, according to series boss Carmelo Ezpeleta.

The head of MotoGP promoter Dorna revealed that he has signed an agreement to stage a round of the world championship in Singapore when a planned purpose-built circuit in Changi is completed.

Ezpeleta told Singapore newspaper Today that he expects the new facility to be up and running in the next three years.

"We have signed an agreement with a promoter to stage a round of the motorbike world championship in Singapore," he said.

"But it depends when the permanent track will be completed. I understand it will be up in three years' time, so there could be a race as early as 2011, if not 2012.

"Asia is important to MotoGP's growth and Singapore is at the centre of it, that's why we want to hold a round there. But my agreement is subject to the track being built."

Singapore government official Teo Ser Luck said at last month's Formula One grand prix in Singapore that 20 hectares have been set aside for the Changi project and that more land could be released if necessary.

And the country's sports council CEO Oon Jin Teik told Today: "The Changi track is a major component of our motorsports industry development plan and it is intended to be funded by the private sector.

"The current financial climate will have an impact on the bidders we will be able to attract, but weaker players are unlikely to participate while stronger ones will need to put together even better proposals. Based on the feedback we're receiving, potential investors are still upbeat about the project."

Indianapolis 250cc race cancelled

Takahashi set for MotoGP move

Hayden tops shortened Valencia test

Nicky Hayden topped the times on the second day of testing at the Valencia circuit, where the MotoGP teams carried out a shortened session due to the poor weather.

Only seven riders took the track today, as the rest of the teams decided not to run due to the rain that hit the Spanish circuit. The action, in fact, ended at 3pm.

Hayden covered 20 laps to finish on top of the times on his second day of work with the Ducati team.

The American outpaced Andrea Dovizioso by less than a 0.010 seconds, with Marco Melandri third quickest in the Kawasaki.

Niccolo Canepa and Mika Kallio were fourth and fifth, with the Alice team the only squad who ran with two riders.

Toni Elias and Loris Capirossi completed the timesheet, the Italian covering just seven laps.

MotoGP testing will return next month at the Phillip Island circuit. Pos Rider Team Time 1. Hayden Ducati Marlboro Team 1:48.287 2. Dovizioso Repsol Honda 1:48.296 3. Melandri Kawasaki Racing Team 1:48.786 4. Canepa Alice Team 1:49.917 5. Kallio Alice Team 1:50.275 6. Elias Team San Carlo Gresini 1:54.057 7. Capirossi Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1:57.322

Stoner quickest in Valencia test

Barcelona tops Guadalajara in friendly

Yamaha and FIAT extend partnership

FIAT have signed an extension to their deal with Yamaha to be the title sponsor of the Japanese manufacturer's MotoGP team.

The partnership, which began at the start of the 2007 season, will continue at least until the end of 2010.

Yamaha's executive officer of engineering operations, Masao Furusawa, said: "I heartily welcome the extension of the agreement with FIAT for another two years. We will be working to continue the great partnership that resulted in winning the triple crown in 2008."

Valentino Rossi won the MotoGP title for the FIAT Yamaha team this year, while Jorge Lorenzo finished fourth overall as the top rookie in the series.

RSL, Morales agree to extension

Hayden 'settling in' at Ducati

New Ducati signing Nicky Hayden says he is still settling into the style of his GP9 after setting the fastest time in the wet second day of testing at Valencia.

The American, one of just seven riders to take part in the shortened second day, says he has a lot of hard to work to do before he is ready to match teammate Casey Stoner's pace in dry conditions.

"We haven't really played around with the setting too much because at the moment the most important thing is to try and adapt to the bike, the tyres, the team and their way of working and communicating," he said after yesterday's test. "I have to be careful not to speak too fast or use too much slang!

"Joking aside, I know I have a lot of hard work to do but I'm ready for it and so is the team.

"I haven't asked for too many changes because Casey has already shown what this bike can do and now it's up to me to do the same."

Hayden added that he was disappointed not to have had more dry running on the Italian machine, but said that testing in the wet was still useful.

"I would have preferred to have another dry day today because we still had a lot of things to try with the bike but at least I got chance to get a first feel for it in the wet," he said. "We've seen with the way the rain has followed us around this season how important it is to have experience in these conditions.

"After my first run I said to myself, "wow, you're so slow!" But then we made some small changes and I felt better."

Ducati impressed with Hayden

Rapids’ impressive grit opens doors

Wizards clinch berth, may lose Wolff

Hayden confirmed at Ducati for 2009

Stoner undergoes wrist surgery

Ducati rider Casey Stoner underwent successful surgery on his wrist on Thursday in Italy and has already left hospital.

The Australian, who had been hindered by the injury since it reemerged during the latter part of the 2008 season, got two floating bodies removed from the area of the styloid process of the lower arm.

The 2007 world champion was treated for pseudoarthrosis on his left scaphoid before the removal of a staple, which had been inserted during an operation in 2003.

He also received a bone graft using the Herbert Bone Screw System, which is designed to promote early active motion.

Stoner will begin his rehabilitation over the next few days in Switzerland.

Stoner could undergo early surgery

Lorenzo undergoes successful skin graft

Stoner quickest in Valencia test

Casey Stoner set the fastest time on the first day of the post-season MotoGP test at Valencia today.

The Ducati rider's best effort was a tenth of a second quicker than his fastest lap in Sunday's race, while Dani Pedrosa and Valentino Rossi set the next quickest times in a repeat of the top three from the weekend's Grand Prix. Although Rossi only joined in for the last two hours of the day.

The Suzuki's of Chris Vermeulen and Loris Capirossi were fourth and fifth quickest, ahead of Alex de Angelis on the Gresini Honda and Jorge Lorenzo's factory Yamaha.

But the spotlight today was on the riders having their first tests for new teams. Several riders switched to their new homes today as Nicky Hayden moved to Ducati, Andrea Dovizioso took his place at Repsol Honda, Marco Melandri switched to Kawasaki, and Toni Elias moved back to Gresini Honda..

Other riders also joined the series today, with Sete Gibernau making his MotoGP return on the Onde Ducati, 250cc graduates Mika Kallio and Yuki Takahashi in action for Alice Ducati and JiR Team Scot Honda, and Niccolo Canepa alongside Kallio at Alice.

Dovizioso was quickest of those to change bikes since Sunday's race, setting the eighth fastest time 1.2 seconds adrift of Stoner's benchmark.

Melandri was inside the top ten and just 0.022s slower than new Kawasaki teammate John Hopkins, while Hayden was 12th for Ducati and 1.5s behind Stoner as he concentrated on acclimatising himself with the new machine.

Lorenzo continued his troubled time at Valencia with a crash during the afternoon, but was unhurt.

The test was also the first run on Bridgestone tyres for all the riders that raced with Michelin this year, on MotoGP's first day as a single-tyre championship. The test will conclude tomorrow.

Pos Rider Team Time 1. Casey Stoner Ducati Marlboro Team 1:32.464 2. Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda 1:32.672 3. Valentino Rossi Fiat Yamaha Team 1:32.921 4. Chris Vermeulen Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1:33.142 5. Loris Capirossi Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1:33.325 6. Alex De Angelis San Carlo Honda Gresini 1:33.375 7. Jorge Lorenzo Fiat Yamaha Team 1:33.550 8. Andrea Dovizioso Repsol Honda 1:33.676 9. John Hopkins Kawasaki Racing Team 1:33.760 10. Marco Melandri Kawasaki Racing Team 1:33.782 11. Randy De Puniet LCR Honda MotoGP 1:33.832 12. Nicky Hayden Ducati Marlboro Team 1:33.960 13. Toni Elias San Carlo Honda Gresini 1:34.129 14. Sete Gibernau Onde 2000 Ducati 1:34.451 15. Mika Kallio Alice Team 1:34.793 16. Olivier Jacque Kawasaki Racing Team 1:34.925 17. Niccolo Canepa Alice Team 1:34.995 18. Yuki Takahashi JiR Team Scot Honda 1:35.203

Hayden dominates wet first session

Top of SuperLiga table clash on tap

Stoner dominates Valencia warm-up

Corsi wins hard-fought Valencia race

Simone Corsi took a hard-fought victory in the 125cc Valencia Grand Prix ahead of Nicolas Terol to lead an Aprilia Jack&Jones one-two, after a race-long battle against new world champion Mike di Meglio.

Italy's Corsi, starting the race from third, took the lead from Spanish teammate Terol on lap two of 24 and held it until lap twelve, when Frenchman di Meglio completed his recovery from the seventh spot on the grid to take first.

From then on, Corsi and di Meglio exchanged the lead on every lap except for lap 20, until the Ajo Derbi rider relinquished the lead for the final time on the penultimate lap when he briefly lost the rear and went wide, with Corsi going back at the front and Terol slotting into second.

Corsi managed to keep an advantage of a few metres in the last lap to win the race by one tenth of a second over Terol, with di Meglio a further tenth down.

Today's victory means that Corsi is the runner up in this year's championship, with last year's champion Gabor Talmacsi - who was six points ahead before this race - falling to third in the standings.

The Hungarian, who qualified on pole position, crashed out on lap seven from sixth position after breaking his Aspar Aprilia's gear level on the first lap while on the lead.

Polaris World Aprila's Bradley Smith ended the race in fourth place after holding third place for two laps from lap 19, when he took advantage of a scrap between Terol and Sandro Cortese. The latter ended up fifth with his Emmi Aprilia.

Andrea Iannone had a lonely race to sixth with his I.C. Aprilia after Stevie Bonsey crashed his Degraaf Aprilia on lap 16.

Red Bull KTM's Tomoyoshi Koyama classified seventh ahead of Bluesens Aprilia's Scott Redding, and the KTMs of Pablo Nieto (Onde) and Esteve Rabat (Repsol).

Stefan Bradl had a high-side and crashed his Kiefer Aprilia on the third lap, taking Sergio Gadea's Aspar Aprilia with him. Danny Webb also crashed his Degraaf Aprilia on lap seven, while Raffaele de Rosa did the same with his Onde KTM two laps later.

Belson Derbi's Pol Espargaro, who was briefly knocked out in a crash in yesterday's qualifying, was deemed fit to race today, but during this morning's warm-up didn't feel in perfect conditions and abandoned the event.

CLASSIFIED: Pos Rider Bike Time 1. Simone Corsi Aprilia 40:45.715 2. Nicolas Terol Aprilia + 0.106 3. Mike Di Meglio Derbi + 0.223 4. Bradley Smith Aprilia + 0.776 5. Sandro Cortese Aprilia + 1.333 6. Andrea Iannone Aprilia + 21.578 7. Tomoyoshi Koyama KTM + 29.387 8. Scott Redding Aprilia + 29.419 9. Pablo Nieto KTM + 38.059 10. Esteve Rabat KTM + 38.481 11. Lorenzo Zanetti KTM + 38.941 12. Efren Vazquez Aprilia + 48.466 13. Lorenzo Savadori Aprilia + 48.802 14. Alexis Masbou Loncin + 50.340 15. Enrique Jerez KTM + 50.575 16. Takaaki Nakagami Aprilia + 52.220 17. R.Krummenacher KTM + 55.047 18. Jonas Folger KTM + 55.139 19. Jules Cluzel Loncin + 55.546 20. Marco Ravaioli Aprilia +1:00.289 21. Robert Muresan Aprilia +1:10.142 22. Bastien Chesaux Aprilia +1:26.165 23. Louis Rossi Honda +1:26.407 24. Daniel Saez Aprilia +1:41.720 25. C.Trabalon Aprilia + 1 Lap NOT CLASSIFIED/RETIREMENTS: Rider Bike Laps Pere Tutusaus Aprilia 23 Julian Miralles Aprilia 22 Steve Bonsey Aprilia 15 Joan Olive Derbi 14 Adrian Martin Aprilia 11 Raffaele De Rosa KTM 8 Gabor Talmacsi Aprilia 6 Daniel Webb Aprilia 6 Robin Lasser Aprilia 6 D.Agerter Derbi 3 Sergio Gadea Aprilia 2 Stefan Bradl Aprilia 2 Ricard Cardus Derbi 0 Pol Espargaro Derbi 0 H.van den Berg Aprilia 0 FASTEST LAP: Di Meglio, 1:40.901 on lap 4

Talmacsi wins as di Meglio crashes

De Puniet not happy with sixth

Randy de Puniet was disappointed with his performance in qualifying for the Valencia Grand Prix, despite taking a fine sixth place on the grid.

The LCR Honda rider, who set the pace in the early stages of the session, recovered from a crash to take a second row grid spot for the Monaco-based squad.

Despite this though, the former Kawasaki rider believes he could have done even better.

"It was a good last qualifying of the season but honestly I was expecting something better," said de Puniet. "Unfortunately I lost the front on my second run out after six laps but luckily I saved my wrist from the incident.

"After that we lost some track time but we fixed our tyres choice for the race and started to set good lap times on qualifiers."

The Frenchman, who is still suffering the effects of a wrist-fracturing accident at the San Marino Grand Prix in August, is unsure what to expect in the race.

"Starting from the second row is very important as nobody really knows the weather for tomorrow," he said. "I feel a bit worried about my wrist but will do the best to get the best result so far."

De Puniet baffled by accident

De Puniet aims to stay in top eight

Victory eases pressure for U.S.

Toseland aims to be top six factor in '09

James Toseland believes he will have to deliver consistent top six results in his second MotoGP season to ensure he has a long-term future in the championship.

The Tech 3 Yamaha rider has finished sixth six times during his rookie year and ended the season 11th in the standings. Now he hopes to use those results as a springboard to better things in 2009.

"We need to be competitive next year," Toseland told BBC television.

"We've got to build on this. I need to be battling in the top six consistently next year. I've had six of them this year, but I need to do it consistently next year to keep my job in MotoGP."

Toseland looked like he might manage a career-best finish after he qualified fifth for today's season finale at Valencia, but he tumbled down the order on the opening lap and could only manage 11th.

"I just misjudged (Jorge) Lorenzo off the line and lost some places," he explained. "I had a really good feeling in the first half of this race and was pushing so hard to get past, and I got past twice but made mistakes at the hairpin, which made me really mad with myself.

"Not a great last race, but this one was just to get out of the way so I can build on it next year."

Rest provides tonic for weary Revs

Toseland aims to finish on a high

Lorenzo announces 2009 title intentions

Jorge Lorenzo said he was relatively satisfied to finish eighth at Valencia after a difficult weekend on his home ground, but hopes to be a more consistent front-runner next season so he can challenge for the title.

The Valencia result confirmed Lorenzo's fourth place in the standings, making him the best of this year's newcomers.

"We're very, very happy with the rookie trophy, that was quite important for us," he told the BBC. "Next year we hope to fight for the big trophy."

He qualified seventh at Valencia and lost more ground at the start, before picking up pace later in the grand prix and recovering to eighth place.

"It's not the best finish of my career for sure," Lorenzo said. "We couldn't get a good pace or the right feeling all weekend.

"In the race it was getting better, and I'm happy because yesterday with the race tyre I was last (early in qualifying), and today eighth is not so bad. But it's not the best dream finish."

The double 250cc champion made a spectacular start to his first MotoGP campaign by taking three straight poles and then a maiden win at Estoril.

But Lorenzo fell off the pace in the summer after a series of violent accidents, and was also hampered by his Michelin tyres' inconsistent form.

"I learned many things, not only professionally, but personally too," he added to Italia1.

"It's been a very tough year, with many lessons, many crashes, and many internal problems, so this will make me a lot tougher in the head, and it will be good for the future."

Lorenzo admitted that he will need to be more consistent to mount a title challenge, but thinks he will benefit from next season's change to control tyres.

"Consistency is very important, but you have to be on the podium very regularly," said the Yamaha rider.

"If you are fourth or fifth it doesn't matter. You've got to be competitive, and for sure with the new regulations for the tyres it will be less confusing."

Lorenzo unhappy to miss podium

Tearful Reyna announces retirement

Stoner salutes 'fantastic' finish

Casey Stoner was delighted to end the MotoGP season with a dominant win in the Valencia Grand Prix.

The 2007 world champion started from pole position and, after dropping behind Dani Pedrosa off the line, grabbed the lead back before the end of the first lap and pulled away to take a commanding win.

The result allowed him to cement his second place in the world championship, behind Valentino Rossi.

"We couldn't ask for much more than to finish the season like this," said Stoner.

"It's been a very difficult season for us, there's been a lot of ups, a lot of downs, but we were competitive here last year and in the warm-up everything felt good and we were ready for this. It's fantastic to finish like this."

Stoner said that he was worried late in the race that he may not hang on to win, after he began to struggle with the broken scaphoid bone in his wrist.

"I started running wide a little bit, and I was lucky that I had a bit of a buffer at the front, because then I had to start carrying more corner speed," he told the BBC.

"I couldn't brake at the same points - by the end of the race I was braking probably 50, 60 metres earlier going into the first turn than I was at the beginning. It was hard work to keep the lap times going, but we managed to do it."

Stoner hopes for trouble-free run in Italy

Real avoid nightmare finish

Rossi hails emotional maiden Laguna win

Little-used Warren proves worth for Revs

Gibernau admits a lot of work needed

Sete Gibernau admitted there is still a lot of work to be done following his debut with the Onde 2000 Ducati team in testing at the Valencia circuit.

The 35-year-old Spaniard will return to racing next season after leaving MotoGP at the end of 2006.

The Catalan has joined the new Onde 2000 squad, who made their MotoGP track debut yesterday in the first test following the end of the 2008 season.

Gibernau finished two seconds off the pace set by Casey Stoner.

"All the other riders are too fast for me to follow at the moment," Gibernau told the official MotoGP website. "They are all pretty sure of what they are doing, and I'm not yet.

"I'm still in need of learning what I have to do to get this bike fast; I'm not scared, but I've got a lot of respect for what everyone is doing in this championship."

The Spaniard, who had tested for Ducati earlier this year, admitted he was thrilled to be back in action following his decision to leave the sport.

"I was so excited to be back again," he said. "It's been three years since I last rode at Valencia, which is a big gap, but I enjoyed it a lot.

"We're good professionals and have put a very good group together, but we need to work at some tests to see how to work best with each other.

"I'm going to bring all my experience and know-how and try to get us up to speed in the fastest possible way."

Watson impresses against former team

Gibernau set to confirm 2009 comeback

Rossi: Electronic aids make bikes boring

Eight-time world champion Valentino Rossi has blamed the increasing reliance on electronic aids in MotoGP as a key reason for the lack of wheel-to-wheel racing in 2008.

The Yamaha rider described the latest generation of 800cc bikes as 'boring' compared to their predecessors and that while other factors played their part, the ease at which they could be ridden on the limit was a contributing factor in creating processional races like the series finale at Valencia last weekend.

"For sure the 800cc is a more boring bike compared to the 990cc: there's too much electronics," he told Italian magazine Motosprint. "Now, if the electronics work well the bikes become almost perfect and the gaps increase, instead of reduce."

"The [Valencia] track is to blame too, because at no point you can take alternative lines, so you end up lining up one behind the other."

Asked to comment on the fact that it has been two years since there had been a last-lap lead change in a sport that prides itself on close racing, Rossi said: "That's a very bad thing. It's worrying.

"I don't think the single-tyre [rule] is the solution for this problem," he added. "I repeat: the electronics are very sophisticated, the technical evolution is incredible, and next year will be even worse.

"However, there have been some good races this year, so the track counts for a lot. But tracks like Valencia are not good for the show."

Rossi added that while he believed that reducing the reliance on electronic aids such as traction control would help to solve the problem, he didn't believe that it was likely to happen in the near future.

"These engines are designed considering the electronics, so the power output can afford to be aggressive because there are these systems helping out anyway," he said. "We'd need a smoother power output, to the detriment of power, but the engineers don't even want to hear that!

"So these days you can be aggressive, without being precise with the gas, because electronics helps you out anyway."

Ianni hopes for exciting summer

Pedrosa blames injuries for slump

Dani Pedrosa believes his brace of broken hands were the main reason for his failure to challenge for the 2008 MotoGP title.

The Spaniard led the championship early on, but ultimately ended the year a distant third in the standings - 124 points adrift of champion Valentino Rossi - having won just twice.

He reckons he lost competitiveness primarily due to the hand injuries he suffered in pre-season testing at Sepang in January and in an accident when leading the sodden German Grand Prix in July.

"I broke my right hand at the beginning, then the left in the middle of the season, then hurt my knee in Australia, so I lost the rhythm many times this season - in the beginning and middle especially - because I was injured," said Pedrosa.

"I stopped my work on the bike and everybody else continued to get better and better every race."

The Repsol Honda rider is aiming to have a smoother season in 2009.

"I had to push very hard to come back strongly, and I hope next year we can stay away from those things," said Pedrosa.

"We hope things go well this time, we have no injuries pre-season, and we can work all the way to the first race."

Pedrosa ended the year with second places at Sepang and Valencia, results that he believes vindicated his decision to switch from Michelin to Bridgestone tyres prior to the Indianapolis race.

"We've come back from a bad period in the middle of the season," he said.

"We changed the tyres and I had many critics. But finally in the last three races we've come back on the pace. At Phillip Island I crashed because of cold tyres, but at the last two races we were at the top from practice."

Late slump hurts Quakes’ chances

Guintoli regrets following Rossi

Sylvain Guintoli blamed the time wasted behind Valentino Rossi as the reason for his disappointing 13th spot in Valencia qualifying today.

The Alice Ducati rider, who is taking part in his last MotoGP event before moving to British Superbikes next year, said he spent the first two laps of his last set of qualifying tyres behind the Italian's Fiat Yamaha, without realising the latter was on race tyres in the closing minutes of the session.

By the time he overtook Rossi, Guintoli was able to set his best lap of the session. The Frenchman reckons his tyres would have allowed him to qualify better had he not trailed Rossi for so long.

"When I was using my last set of soft tyres I was behind Valentino Rossi and I didn't know he was using race tyres," Guintoli said.

"I lost a couple of laps but then I overtook him and I have obtained my fastest lap time on the third lap with qualifying tyres. Probably, if I had used the tyres in my first lap out of the pit I would have conquered a much better result."

Guintoli suffered a crash in practice yesterday that left his knee bruised and his behind sore.

"It's okay like this for how it went yesterday," he concluded. "I still have a lot of pain in my left knee and tomorrow it will be a very long hard race."

Alice teammate Toni Elias, who will be moving back to the Honda Gresini team after this race, was relieved to have a decent session that saw him qualify in eleventh spot, after struggling to last place yesterday.

"It isn't a great result but I really gave all I had today to conquer the best position possible on the starting grid," said the Spaniard.

"I was in last position and now I am in the middle of the classification which is very important on this track where is very difficult to overtake. It's a pity because we have encountered some difficulties to find a good set up of the bike due to the weather conditions.

"We still have some problems, but this is the situation we are in and we will have to give it all tomorrow to finish in the best way possible the season."

Fire near full strength for Rapids

Revs’ Joseph represents country, club