Saturday pm - Biaggi Talks MotoGP, But Will Probably Remain a Superbike Man

Rumours continue to float around the paddock at Estoril that the four-times 250cc world champion Max Biaggi may be headed back to MotoGP next year to ride a Honda RC212V in an association with Luca Montiron, the Italian who is managing director of the JIR Konica Minolta squad.

But this is unlikely to happen, due to a shortage of bikes and sponsorship. It's true that Biaggi is in discussion with his present team, Francis Batta's Alstare Suzuki World Superbike squad for 2008. Having lost backing from Corona, Batta doesn't have the money to meet Biaggi's expectations, but the pair are continuing to talk. Batta apparently hopes for an answer from Biaggi, who currently holds third place in his debut season in the Superbike series, after the next WSBK round at Vallelunga.

Biaggi and Montiron have undoubtedly talked, but now that the 250cc rider Andrea Dovizioso is moving to MotoGP next year with Montiron, there just doesn't seem space for the 36-year-old Roman.

That may be no tragedy, given that Biaggi could win the WSBK title in 2008 given his rapid adaptation to the 1,000cc production bikes, and James Toseland's departure for MotoGP next year. Just one thought: could Max pop up in Ten Kate's expanding World Superbike operation, where places still remain vacant?


Saturday pm - Matthew, 16, Makes the Break from Cadwell to Estoril

It's like a fairy tale: schoolboy Matthew Hoyle takes a lunchtime break from classes and is tucking into his sandwiches when his mum comes belting into the Yorkshire village in her car to tell him: "You're in, they want you!"

And thus an email message plucks Matthew, 16, away from 125cc British championship racing to compete in the new Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup on grand prix circuits where Rossi and Stoner fight out their stuff on the same day.

And the thing is, Matthew doesn't blow his chances. He adapts quickly to the 45bhp KTM two-stroke, starts hitting the podium, finished third again in today's 14-lap race on the 2.6-mile Estoril circuit, and is now third in the eight-round championship with just one more race to come.

"I crashed out of fourth place in the first round in Spain, but I realised I had a good chance in the championship," Matthew says. "This is my best chance of getting any further in road racing, so I've told myself I've got to start winning."

Around 1100 youngsters applied to enter the series, and 165 were selected for track tests in Spain. So the fact that Matthew was chosen for one of the 22 places on the grid says plenty about how KTM tech guru Harald Bartol views his potential.