The provisional entry lists for next year's three motorcycle grand prix series have been released by the FIM, showing few surprises but beating Ilmor's confirmation that Jeremy McWilliams and Andrew Pitt would ride its X3s.
New MotoGP world champion
Nicky Hayden has been listed against the #1 plate, breaking the recent tradition set by
Valentino Rossi of a rider retaining a trademark number. The Repsol Honda rider will thus give up the #69 that he carried to success at the last round in 2005. Team-mate
Dani Pedrosa will carry #26.
Rossi remains unchanged with the #46 set to adorn his Yamaha for another season, while team-mate
Colin Edwards will ride with the #5 on the front of his machine. Makoto Tamada retains the #6 despite his switch from Konica Minolta Honda to Tech 3 Yamaha, while Carlos Checa takes his preferred #7 from the French squad to Honda LCR. Completing the triangle,
Shinya Nakano will transfer his familiar #56 to the Konica Minolta operation.
Series returnees Alex Barros and Olivier Jacques will campaign their recognisable #4 and #19 plates, while it can be expected that the #99 will adorn Mc
Williams' Ilmor entry, even though the Irishman was missing from the entry at the time of issue.
Sylvain Guintoli will use the #50 in his debut season with Tech 3, while
Casey Stoner carried the #27 to the Ducati factory operation.
Jorge Lorenzo will carry the #1 on his Fortuna Aprilia in 250cc, but the 'top plate' will be absent from the 125s following champion Alvaro Bautista's graduation to 250. The Spaniard will run the #19 in the higher class, riding for the Master-MVA Aspar Aprilia team.
The provisional entries for all classes read as follows:
MotoGP
1.
NICKY HAYDEN USA
Repsol Honda Team Honda
4.
ALEX BARROS BRA
Pramac d'Antin Ducati
5.
COLIN EDWARDS USA
Yamaha Factory Racing Team Yamaha
6.
MAKOTO TAMADA JPN
Tech 3 Yamaha Yamaha
7.
CARLOS CHECA SPA
Honda LCR Honda
10.
KENNY ROBERTS Jr USA
Team Roberts KR211V
17.
RANDY DE PUNIET FRA
Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki
19.
OLIIVIER JACQUE FRA
Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki
21.
JOHN HOPKINS USA
Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki
24.
TONI ELIAS SPA
Honda Gresini Honda
26.
DANI PEDROSA SPA
Repsol Honda Team Honda
27.
CASEY STONER AUS
Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati
33.
MARCO MELANDRI ITA
Honda Gresini Honda
46.
VALENTINO ROSSI ITA
Yamaha Factory Racing Team Yamaha
50.
SYLVAIN GUINTOLI FRA
Tech 3 Yamaha Yamaha
56.
SHINYA NAKANO JPN
Konica Minolta Honda Honda
65.
LORIS CAPIROSSI ITA
Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati
66.
ALEX HOFMANN GER
Pramac d'Antin Ducati
71.
CHRIS VERMEULEN AUS
Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki
TBC JEREMY McWILLIAMS GBR Ilmor SRT Ilmor X3
TBC ANDREW PITT AUS Ilmor SRT Ilmor X3
