Max Biaggi, pole sitter at Donington Park one year ago, eased himself into the 2004 edition of the British Grand Prix by setting the seventh fastest time in first qualifying - a result that hasn't particular troubled the Roman.
Max Biaggi rode a near perfect German Grand Prix to take his first victory of the season and close to within 1 point of new world championship leader Valentino Rossi.
Max Biaggi has often been criticised for blaming poor performance on machinery disadvantages or set-up issues, but the Roman was quick to credit Honda for his Assen turnaround.
Sete Gibernau may be leading the MotoGP world championship by virtue of two brilliant victories and a third place, but the majority of the expected 75,000 Mugello fans will be cheering for one of the top three Italians at this weekend's Italian Grand Prix.
Max Biaggi has put an end to Valentino Rossi's domination of the Africa's Grand Prix weekend, the Roman setting the pace in morning warm-up from the fellow Honda of Sete Gibernau.
The New Year saw its first MotoGP action at Sepang today [Tuesday], with a packed test session at the Malaysian track bringing to an end the testing prohibition in place for the last month.
Following last weekend's Pacific GP, Max Biaggi and Valentino Rossi have now filled the top two steps of the podium on fourteen separate occasions, making them one of the greatest head-to-head rivalries of all-time.
Max Biaggi was way ahead of the controversy that was eventually to surround the Pacific Grand Prix when he won by 3.754secs from Valentino Rossi, in front of 56,000 Japanese race fans, in fine autumn weather at Motegi yesterday.
Despite suffering his first non-score of the 2003 season last time out at the Sachsenring, Max Biaggi still finds himself the third player in the championship hunt - and Brno is his circuit.