MotoGP Features

Located in the beautiful Tuscan hills, Mugello boasts a sequence of undulating medium to high-speed corners combined with a straight where even the former 500cc two-strokes were capable of achieving 315kmh... but last year Ducati's Loris Capirossi hit 332.4kph - a mark expected to be 'easily' beaten this year.

Earlier this week BMW unveiled its first Superbike, the 1157cc inline four-cylinder K1200 S (pictured) which, at 160bhp, is the most powerful motorcycle the company has ever produced.

Makoto Tamada may carry the hopes of the Honda and the Japanese sporting nation on his shoulders, but it seems such pressure does little to change his positive attitude to grand prix racing and life in general.

Former 500cc world champions Wayne Rainey and Eddie Lawson returned to the racetrack together last weekend, when they dominated the 'World Superkart' event at Laguna Seca.

Valentino Rossi's superb victory at Welkom may mark the start of a new era in MotoGP, where the recent emphasis upon exotic technology is replaced by a realisation that, however great the machine, it's the rider that's most important.

This weekend in South Africa, Neil Hodgson will make his return to the premier GP class, on a d'Antin run Ducati, nine years after he rode as a privateer in the then 500cc world championship.

At a time when the importance of the 250cc world championship is being questioned, particularly as a proving ground for MotoGP, new Kawasaki signing Shinya Nakano has voiced his support for the series - but admits he was surprised by the performance of former Superbike riders.

Valentino Rossi won the respect of almost the entire two-wheeled world for having the courage to walk out on the most desired seat in motorcycle racing, and Nicky Hayden, the man he left behind at Repsol Honda, has stated his own support for the Italian's 'brave' move.

2004 will see Alex Barros start his fifteenth season in motorcycling's premier-class, the most experienced man in MotoGP having joined the factory Repsol Honda team for what will surely be his best - and perhaps last - chance of a world title.

MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi has put an end to speculation that he's planning a future in Formula One, by stating that any F1 test would be purely for fun.

The third pre-season launch on Thursday at Barcelona, and attended by Crash.net, was by the Kawasaki Racing Team, who unveiled their new 'potent' ZX-RR racer with which Shinya Nakano and Alex Hofmann will carry team green honours this season.