Post by BADGER on Mar 7, 2008 6:55:08 GMT
The strongest MotoGP line-up ever?
The 2008 MotoGP rider line-up is arguably the strongest ever, with eleven of the 18 riders present having already won an FIM world championship.
In total, the 2008 MotoGP grid contains 24 world titles - led by Valentino Rossi's seven world championships - with even the four class rookies holding five world championships between them, thanks to Jorge Lorenzo (double 250cc world champion), Andrea Dovizioso (125cc world champion) and James Toseland (double World Superbike champion). Alex de Angelis is the only rookie without a world title.
Of the 18 full times riders, 16 have won races at world championship level in Grand Prix, World Superbike or World Supersport. Between them, these 16 riders have already scored an amazing 303 race victories at world championship level.
The only MotoGP riders yet to taste victory in a world championship race are John Hopkins and Sylvain Guintoli.
The following is a list of the world championship titles held by each rider on the 2008 MotoGP grid.
1. Valentino Rossi seven world titles (5 x MotoGP, 1 x 250, 1 x 125)
2. Dani Pedrosa three world titles (2 x 250, 1 x 125)
3. Loris Capirossi three world titles (1 x 250, 2 x 125)
4. Colin Edwards two world titles (2 x WSBK)
5. James Toseland two world titles (2 x WSBK) *
6. Jorge Lorenzo two world titles (2 x 250) *
7. Casey Stoner one world title (MotoGP)
8. Nicky Hayden one world title (MotoGP)
9. Marco Melandri one world title (250)
10. Chris Vermeulen one world title (WSS)
11. Andrea Dovizioso one world title (125) *
* rookie
MotoGP gets younger.
2008 will see four new faces in the MotoGP class, replacing some very experienced riders and reducing the average rider age by almost three years.
The rider changes from last year are as follows:
Out have gone (with ages in brackets): Carlos Checa (35), Alex Barros (37), Makoto Tamada (30) and Kurtis Roberts (28). In addition, several other experienced riders dropped out during the course of last year, including Kenny Roberts (34), Olivier Jacque (34) and Alex Hofmann (27).
The four riders making their MotoGPdebut at the opening race of this year in Qatar are; James Toseland(27), Alex de Angelis (24), Andrea Dovizioso (21) and Jorge Lorenzo (20).
Repsol Honda receives 2007 bikes!
Repsol Honda could make a complete U-turn and start the 2008 MotoGP season, at Qatar on Sunday night, using exactly the same RC212Vs that it finished last season with.
Rather than gaining ground with its all-new '08 racer during the off-season, Honda's factory team has found itself in the unexpected situation of working its way back towards the proven 2007 design.
The underperforming pneumatic-valve '08 engine was the first to go, prompting an '07 engine to be fitted inside the '08 chassis for much of 2008 pre-season testing.
But even that compromise failed to trouble the impressive pace of the leading satellite Hondariders - using complete 2007 bikes - during last week's Qatar night test, when factory riders Nicky Haydenand Dani Pedrosa were left just seventh and 13th fastest.
EXCLUSIVE: Toseland's MotoGP strategy
James Toseland's manager Roger Burnett details the double World Superbike champion's approach and expectations heading into his MotoGP race debut at this weekend's Qatar Grand Prix.
"What viewers and riders need to understand is that this job is very much about maximising 22 litres of fuel."
It seems a curious statement from a manager whose rider has been the sensation of winter testing, but then Roger Burnett the strategist and James Toselandthe guy on the Tech 3 Yamaha look at the big picture when they're planning a race season.
"In race trim we're probably at more of a disadvantage than we are in qualifying," Burnett reasons. He's referring to the power of the conventional valve-spring engine that Toseland is using for the early races of the season, and the pneumatic-valve YZR-M1s that Valentino Rossiand Jorge Lorenzo are racing in the Fiat Yamaha squad.
"In qualifying trim we are probably 3-4mph slower," Burnett says. "But over the race distance that gap increases compared to guys with an engine that is more efficient.
The 2008 MotoGP rider line-up is arguably the strongest ever, with eleven of the 18 riders present having already won an FIM world championship.
In total, the 2008 MotoGP grid contains 24 world titles - led by Valentino Rossi's seven world championships - with even the four class rookies holding five world championships between them, thanks to Jorge Lorenzo (double 250cc world champion), Andrea Dovizioso (125cc world champion) and James Toseland (double World Superbike champion). Alex de Angelis is the only rookie without a world title.
Of the 18 full times riders, 16 have won races at world championship level in Grand Prix, World Superbike or World Supersport. Between them, these 16 riders have already scored an amazing 303 race victories at world championship level.
The only MotoGP riders yet to taste victory in a world championship race are John Hopkins and Sylvain Guintoli.
The following is a list of the world championship titles held by each rider on the 2008 MotoGP grid.
1. Valentino Rossi seven world titles (5 x MotoGP, 1 x 250, 1 x 125)
2. Dani Pedrosa three world titles (2 x 250, 1 x 125)
3. Loris Capirossi three world titles (1 x 250, 2 x 125)
4. Colin Edwards two world titles (2 x WSBK)
5. James Toseland two world titles (2 x WSBK) *
6. Jorge Lorenzo two world titles (2 x 250) *
7. Casey Stoner one world title (MotoGP)
8. Nicky Hayden one world title (MotoGP)
9. Marco Melandri one world title (250)
10. Chris Vermeulen one world title (WSS)
11. Andrea Dovizioso one world title (125) *
* rookie
MotoGP gets younger.
2008 will see four new faces in the MotoGP class, replacing some very experienced riders and reducing the average rider age by almost three years.
The rider changes from last year are as follows:
Out have gone (with ages in brackets): Carlos Checa (35), Alex Barros (37), Makoto Tamada (30) and Kurtis Roberts (28). In addition, several other experienced riders dropped out during the course of last year, including Kenny Roberts (34), Olivier Jacque (34) and Alex Hofmann (27).
The four riders making their MotoGPdebut at the opening race of this year in Qatar are; James Toseland(27), Alex de Angelis (24), Andrea Dovizioso (21) and Jorge Lorenzo (20).
Repsol Honda receives 2007 bikes!
Repsol Honda could make a complete U-turn and start the 2008 MotoGP season, at Qatar on Sunday night, using exactly the same RC212Vs that it finished last season with.
Rather than gaining ground with its all-new '08 racer during the off-season, Honda's factory team has found itself in the unexpected situation of working its way back towards the proven 2007 design.
The underperforming pneumatic-valve '08 engine was the first to go, prompting an '07 engine to be fitted inside the '08 chassis for much of 2008 pre-season testing.
But even that compromise failed to trouble the impressive pace of the leading satellite Hondariders - using complete 2007 bikes - during last week's Qatar night test, when factory riders Nicky Haydenand Dani Pedrosa were left just seventh and 13th fastest.
EXCLUSIVE: Toseland's MotoGP strategy
James Toseland's manager Roger Burnett details the double World Superbike champion's approach and expectations heading into his MotoGP race debut at this weekend's Qatar Grand Prix.
"What viewers and riders need to understand is that this job is very much about maximising 22 litres of fuel."
It seems a curious statement from a manager whose rider has been the sensation of winter testing, but then Roger Burnett the strategist and James Toselandthe guy on the Tech 3 Yamaha look at the big picture when they're planning a race season.
"In race trim we're probably at more of a disadvantage than we are in qualifying," Burnett reasons. He's referring to the power of the conventional valve-spring engine that Toseland is using for the early races of the season, and the pneumatic-valve YZR-M1s that Valentino Rossiand Jorge Lorenzo are racing in the Fiat Yamaha squad.
"In qualifying trim we are probably 3-4mph slower," Burnett says. "But over the race distance that gap increases compared to guys with an engine that is more efficient.