Reigning double 250cc world champion Lorenzo was the only rider ahead of Toseland at the night test, and the most obvious comparisons for the factory Yamaha rider - plus fellow quarter-litre graduates Dovizioso and de Angelis - are the post-2001 debut
MotoGP rides by former 250cc stars
Dani Pedrosa,
Casey Stoner,
Marco Melandri and
Toni Elias.
Like Lorenzo, Pedrosa entered the MotoGP class for a factory team (Repsol Honda) and as the reigning double 250cc world champion, with his first race being the 2006 Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez - where Dani qualified fifth fastest, then rode to a brilliant second position, behind
Loris Capirossi, in a race that saw Valentino Rossi knocked off at the first turn.
Stoner's debut came at the same event, for the satellite LCR Honda team, where the future MotoGP world champion qualified 15th before charging to sixth position in the race.
Melandri entered MotoGP as the reigning 250cc world champion in 2003, and should therefore have made his debut alongside Bayliss and Edwards at Suzuka. However, the Italian broke a leg in free practice and was forced to wait until round three to make his first race start. Melandri, far from fully fit, qualified his factory Yamaha 16th at
Jerez, then finished 17th in the race.
After being a seven-time race winner in 250cc, Elias graduated to MotoGP in 2005, with Tech 3 Yamaha. The Spaniard's first race was also at Jerez, where he qualified 13th and finished 12th.
And what of
Valentino Rossi, the most successful rider still competing in the premier-class?
The Italian made his premier-class debut as the reigning 250cc world champion in 2000, when the class still consisted exclusively of 500cc two-strokes. The future five-time MotoGP world champion qualified his Honda fifth for the season-opening South African Grand Prix, but failed to finish the race.
Where do you think the rookies will finish in their first MotoGP race? Post your predictions below...
