After taking his first
MotoGP podiums at Suzuki last year, and a best yet fourth in the championship, Hopper will begin a new challenge with Kawasaki at Qatar this weekend - but, like Pedrosa, will be riding through the pain this weekend after damaging his groin in a testing accident at Phillip Island.
Anthony West joins Hopkins in green, for his first full season on a ZX-RR.
Melandri was fifth in the 2007 standings and gets his 'big chance' as team-mate to Stoner this season. The Italian has suffered a tough time during winter testing, but heads to the first race optimistic.
Stoner's former team-mate,
Loris Capirossi, has replaced Hopkins at Suzuki - where he is determined to rebuild his reputation after being overshadowed by Casey last season. Unfortunately, Capirossi and Suzuki regular
Chris Vermeulen have experienced mixed fortunes during the winter, and were still searching for a set-up breakthrough during last week's final test.
Last season saw just one rookie,
Sylvain Guintoli, enter the full world championship - but this year there will be four rising stars battling to be the best newcomer. Two of those, reigning double 250cc world champion
Jorge Lorenzo and reigning double World Superbike champion
James Toseland were a head-turning first and second at the end of the final test.
Unlike team-mate Rossi, Lorenzo will ride with Michelin tyres this season, as will Toseland, who has marched steadily towards the front on his satellite-spec Tech 3 YZR-M1. Toseland will be joined by fellow former WSBK star
Colin Edwards, who has looked revitalised after three years in Rossi's shadow.
The two other rookies are Lorenzo's former 250GP rivals
Andrea Dovizioso and
Alex de Angelis. Dovizioso, second to Lorenzo for the past two seasons, has been rewarded for his Honda loyalty with an RCV ride - at JiR Team Scot - and 'expects' to be racing towards the front after a very strong winter programme.
