Sunday pm - Capirossi Lights up Rizla Suzuki One of the greatest sights among many at this epic race was to see Loris Capirossi bounce into a top six placing so rapidly after his arrival at Rizla Suzuki.
1. Colin Edwards USA Yamaha Tech 3 (M) 1min 40.714 secs 2. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 40.828 secs 3. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (B) 1min 40.918 secs
Four riders made their MotoGP debut at Qatar on Sunday and for James Toseland it was also his first ever grand prix of any kind - but the Briton wasted no time with polite introductions as he traded paint right from the opening lap.
In total, the 2008 MotoGP grid contains 24 world titles - led by Valentino Rossi's seven world championships - with even the four class rookies holding five world championships between them, thanks to Jorge Lorenzo (double 250cc world champion), Andrea Dovizioso (125cc world champion) and James T
Following the departure of previous tyre supplier - and title sponsor - Dunlop, the French-based Tech 3 team had a clean canvas with which to work and has opted to keep the yellow of recent seasons, but mix it with blue, France's traditional racing colour.
By Peter McLaren Yamaha caught some by surprise when its 2008 YZR-M1 appeared with the option of a pneumatic-valve engine at Sepang - but at present that development is only available to the factory Fiat team of Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo.
The three-day test marks the debut of the 2008 Yamaha YZR-M1 and the return of world champion Casey Stoner from a shoulder injury sustained at Jerez last November. Of the provisional 2008 grid, only Team Roberts are not attending the test.
"They call the new BKS leathers the Saville Row suit of MotoGP and I'm proud to be representing a British manufacturer in the world championship," said Toseland. "I want to stand alongside Valentino Rossi at the [upcoming] Sepang test and for him to ask me who made such fantastic leathers."
The big story at the start of the 2007 World Superbike season was the debut of former MotoGP star Max Biaggi who, after a season on the sidelines, was returning to world championship racing with Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra.
The super-fit 27-year-old, who has muscled bulky 1000cc Superbikes around the race track for the past seven seasons, has set the target - which will boost his power-to-weight ratio out on track - after completing his first two tests on the smaller 800cc MotoGP machine.
James Toseland's 2008 MotoGP move will leave little time for the double World Superbike champion to perform with his (excellently named) band Crash , but the Briton will take centre-stage during a fund raising event on the 6th of January.
James Toseland signalled his intent to seal second in the 2006 Corona Extra Superbike World Championship by taking provisional pole at Imola - on his first competitive outing with traction control fitted to his Ten Kate Honda.
James Toseland will take a 5-point lead over Ducati Fila team-mate Regis Laconi into the final race of the 2004 World Superbike season, after winning a tense race one at Magny Cours, just ahead of Noriyuki Haga, with Laconi third.
James Toseland has been crowned the 2004 World Superbike champion after finishing second to Noriyuki Haga in the final race of the season, at Magny Cours.
Steve Martin claimed his second Superpole win of the year in a dramatic session ahead of the seventh round of the World Superbike Championship at Laguna Seca.
James Toseland's first home event as a factory Ducati rider turned into something of a nightmare at Silverstone on Sunday; the #52 being left injured by a high-speed race one fall, then losing his points lead in race two... after being 'taken out' by Frankie Chili.