But in other teams MotoGP, only five events into the new term, are already facing a big turnover of riders - and even a serious talent shortage. Sylvain Guintoli at Alice d'Antin Ducati and Anthony West at Kawasaki may be on their way out of MotoGP.

Marco Melandri must either master the Ducati Desmosedici GP8 or move to another team - it's impossible to imagine this former 250cc world champion and MotoGP race winner being dumped from the category.

Toni Elias is also under-performing with Alice Ducati, but may simply require another team to relight his fire, while Nicky Hayden's Repsol Honda contract expires at the end of this year. Chris Vermeulen has had an up and down career at Rizla Suzuki, and may be on the way out if the American Ben Spies is recruited and the factory declines to make a third bike available. Shinya Nakano at Honda Gresini and Randy de Puniet at Honda LCR might also be considered moveable.

This means that MotoGP could have two, three or even four vacancies next year. But where will the new talent come from? The top three from last year's 250cc class - Jorge Lorenzo, Alex de Angelis and Andrea Dovizioso - were headhunted for this year, and their successors don't seem to have enough experience to handle 800cc and 210bhp. Meanwhile, World Superbikes is dominated by old hands.

Maybe Crash.net readers can come up with some useful suggestions...


Friday am - Stoner: 'The Ducati's Just a Motorcycle'

The enigma of Ducati's Desmosedici GP8 continued in this morning's opening practice session, when Casey Stoner finished a respectable fourth fastest - but Marco Melandri, Toni Elias and Sylvain Guintoli toiled round in 15th, 17th and 18th places respectively.

Is there a problem with the GP8? "The Ducati is very fast, but it needs a very special riding style," Guintoli says. "This process is taking a lot more time than we thought."

"I didn't have feeling so I couldn't ride the bike," Melandri says. "But we have made a big step forward. We modified the traction control and made some changes to the chassis and the weight distribution, and now I can start to feel the bike and push."

We await the race to see if the 25-year-old Italian can improve on this morning's effort. Meanwhile, a Ducati insider says: "If the bike starts to move, Casey just keeps the throttle on and rides through it. The others let the throttle off."

Final word to Stoner: "It's a motorcycle with two wheels and a handlebar."


Friday am - Toseland Goes Slower to Finish Higher

James Toseland is taking a go slower to get there faster approach to the business of learning the 2.597-mile Le Mans circuit this weekend.

Toseland is in the middle of a run of five circuits on which he has never previously raced, and he is disappointed with the 12th position - his worst of the year - that he achieved in the last round in China on his Tech 3 Yamaha.