That leaves only the positions of
Colin Edwards at Yamaha and
Loris Capirossi at Ducati. You'd have to guess that Capirossi will resolve his present difficulties with the Desmosedici GP7 and stay put, while 250 world champ
Jorge Lorenzo is said to destined for the YZR-M1.
"Then you come to the best of the next level," said Burnett, citing the satellite squads of Gresini Honda, d'Antin Ducati, Yamaha Tech 3, and LCR Honda.
"One of the things that wakes me up at night is that James has said he wants to keep enjoying his racing and he wants to be in with a chance of winning," he added.
"That's a very difficult thing to achieve."
The fallback plan - a perfectly sound one - is for Toseland to remain in WSBK. "James is a very strong-minded person who will ultimately make his decision," Burnett said under the lowering
Donington clouds. Expect it in about a month.
Friday 11.10am - Casey brews his own
One of the secrets of Ducati's success is in their ability to select the right partners. With Shell, they probably work closer on fuel and oil development than any other team in the MotoGP paddock.
Shell's PR man David Wylie, who is working just across the aisle in the media centre here, tells me that this year the oil company sacrificed a fraction of a percentage in power output on the Desmosedici GP7 in order to deliver a tad more fuel economy. That helps to explain why the 800cc V4 can run so fast with a litre less fuel in the tank than last year.
In 2006 Shell delivered a 1.2% gain in horsepower from its fuel for the 990cc GP6 and a similar reduction in friction in its Advance oil. So - what's 1%? At the intense level of competition in
MotoGP, it's a gift that saves engineers from seeking it in the engine or chassis.
Stoner dropped into Shell's research lab in Chester earlier this week to check out the blending process, and ended up making a litre of fuel of his own brew. The guy doesn't just ride a bike fast, he takes an intense interest in his team's operations.
