| Four British Grand Prix stars race from Malaysia to Valencia
The four British Grand Prix stars race from Malaysia to Valencia in Spain to compete in the traditional final showdown of the MotoGP World Championship in the frenzied atmosphere of the Ricardo Tormo circuit on Sunday.
The 2.489 mile tight demanding track will be packed by around 120,000 noisy fans to provide a fitting finale to the season which has turned into a year of great highs and lows for the British riders.
Twenty eight year old James Toseland completes his first season in the premier class of Motor Cycle racing, the MotoGP World Championship and his results in the last two races sum up his fortunes. Two rounds ago he finished a brilliant sixth in Australia after qualifying on the second row of the grid riding the Tech 3 Yamaha. Last week he crashed in the early stages of the race in Malaysia after qualifying 12th.
The gritty Yorkshireman is determined to finish his season on a high at a circuit where he has raced in the World Superbike Championship. He is currently 11th in the Championship but only 17 points behind Shinya Nakano in ninth place.
Seventeen year old Bradley Smith was the only one of the four riders to return home from Malaysia with some World Championship points. The Oxfordshire teenager was a brilliant second in the 125 cc race despite having to start from the fourth row of the grid. The race on Sunday will be his last for the Polaris World Aprilia team who are disbanding before he joins the Valencia-based Aspar team.
Fifteen year old Scott Redding was out of luck in Malaysia after retiring with a mechanical problem following a crash in the morning warm-up but the Gloucestershire schoolboy has had a brilliant debut year. He is tenth in the World Championship and secured his first grand prix victory with that historic victory in the British Grand Prix at Donington Park. He finishes a remarkable season at a circuit he knows well.
Danny Webbs fortunes in Malaysia summed up the season for the Kent teenager. He qualified a superb third on the DeGraff Aprilia but was forced to retire after hed been penalised with a ride through penalty following problems at the start, He seeks a change of fortune among the noise and fireworks of Valencia.
James Toseland
Im just putting the Malaysia crash behind me and looking forward to the final race of the season at Valencia. I know the Spanish circuit quite well, so Im going there feeling positive. My first MotoGP season has been an amazing learning curve for me and I want to end on a high with a good result in Valencia.
Bradley Smith
Im really encouraged by my result in Malaysia but I have got to qualify well to give me a chance of victory. I know the Valencia circuit really well and I have one more chance to give my Polaris World Aprilia team a victory. It would be a very special day if I could do it.
Scott Redding
At last Im racing on a circuit that Ive raced on before which will be brilliant. I know Valencia very well and will be looking for a good result to end my first incredible grand prix season.
Danny Webb
After the disappointment of Malaysia Im looking forward to finishing on a high in Valencia. At least I proved I could ride with my damaged finger and like all the other British riders Ive raced and tested in Valencia.
Hayden Waves Goodbye to Honda at Championship Winning Venue
Ironically former World Champion Nicky Hayden waves good bye to Honda on Sunday at the scene of their greatest triumph together two years ago. The Ricardo Tormo circuit on the Western outskirts of Valencia provided the venue for one of the most dramatic season finishes in the 59 year history of grand prix racing when American Hayden clinched the 2006 MotoGP World title for the Repsol Honda team from their former rider Valentino Rossi.
Hayden returns to compete in the final round of the 2008 Championship making his last appearance for the Honda team. Less than 24 hours later he returns to the circuit to test ride the Marlboro Ducati in preparation for the 2009 season when he joins another former World Champion Casey Stoner in the Italian team.
Current World Champion Rossi has never forgotten that fateful day two years ago when he crashed out of the race to lose the title chase. He returns brimming with confidence after his ninth grand prix victory of the season in Malaysia just seven days earlier on the Fiat Yamaha. The Italian is in supreme form and relishes the opportunity to secure ten wins in one season although it will not be easy.
Spaniard Dani Pedrosa won the race for Repsol Honda last year and he returns home fresh from an impressive second place behind Rossi in the searing heat of Malaysia. Both Pedrosa and his team have adjusted well following their switch to Bridgestone tyres and secured their third place in the Championship with the Malaysia result.
Australian Casey Stoner, who finished runner-up to Rossi in the Championship, could be forgiven for having his mind on other things at Valencia. On Monday and Tuesday after the race he will test the prototype 2009 Desmodici Ducati. Two days later he enters an Italian hospital for an operation to mend his damaged left wrist which he broke five years ago. The 2007 World Champion will be out of action for two and a half months following a bone graft operation.
Being the last race of the season it will be final appearance for many riders in their familiar team colours. Some are switching teams while others are saying goodbye. Italian Andrea Dovizioso has had a brilliant MotoGP debut season with the JIR Scott Honda team and secured his first MotoGP podium finish in Malaysia with a hard fought third place. He makes his last appearance for the team on Sunday before replacing Hayden at Repsol Honda next season.
Valencia winner Marco Melandri has had a miserable time at Ducati and cuts short his two year contract to join Kawasaki next season. He replaces Australian Ant West who will compete in the World Supersport Championship next season. Popular Frenchman Sylvain Guintoli leaves the Alice Ducati team and will ride in the British Superbike Championship next year while his team-mate Tony Elias returns to the Gresini Honda team to partner Alex De Angelis. The 250 cc Finnish star Mika Kallio will replace him.
Japanese veteran Shinya Nakano has been in tremendous form in the last three races but despite his ninth position in the World Championship could be without a ride next season He has been replaced by Elias at Gresini Honda and the chances of him riding a third Kawasaki next season are remote. Nakano looks likely to become the official Honda test rider next season.
The biggest MotoGP farewell will be reserved for the Michelin tyre company. After so much success in the old 500cc two-stroke, 990 four-stroke and 800cc four-stroke classes they are leaving the Championship. Next year Bridgestone will be the sole supplier to all teams.
Twenty-one year old Italian Marco Simoncelli clinched the 250 cc World Championship with a third place in Malaysia. The Metis Gilera rider will want to end his superb season with a sixth win although Spaniard Alvaro Bautista is the man in form. The Aspar Aprilia rider has finished on the podium in the last nine grands prix and won his fourth grand prix of the season in Malaysia to clinch second place in the Championship. There is still a battle for third place with the departing Kallio, together with his KTM team, holding a 15 point advantage over local man Alex Debon.
Frenchman Mike Di Meglio is safe and sound as the 125 cc World Champion but there is a tremendous battle for second place between the 2007 World Champion and Malaysian winner Gabor Talmacsi, Italian Simone Corsi and German teenager Stefan Bradl. They are separated by 19 points going into the final showdown.
EVENT TIME SCHEDULE
Friday 24th October
09.00 09.45: 125cc Practice
10.00 11.00: MotoGP Practice
11.15 12.15: 250cc Practice
13.10 13.40: 125cc Qualifying 1
13.55 14.55: MotoGP Practice
15.10 15.55: 250cc Qualifying 1
Saturday 25th October
09.00 09.45: 125cc Practice
10.00 11.00: MotoGP Practice
11.15 12.15: 250cc Practice
13.10 13.40: 125cc Qualifying 2
13.55 14.55: MotoGP Qualifying
15.10 15.55: 250cc Qualifying 2
Sunday 26th October
08.40 09.00: 125cc Warm Up
09.10 09.30: 250cc Warm Up
09.40 10.05: MotoGP Warm Up
11.00: 125cc RACE (24 laps)
12.15: 250cc RACE (27 laps)
14.00: MotoGP RACE (30 laps)
TELEVISION TIMES
Practice, qualifying and the races will be shown at the following times on British television:
Saturday October 25th
BBC Red Button and BBC Sport Qualifying 12.45 14.00
Sunday October 26th
BBC Red Button and BBC Sport 125/250 cc races 09.45 12.15
BBC Two and BBC Sport Website Race Live 12.30 14.00
BBC Red Button and BBC Sport Website Motogp Extra 14.00 14.30
EUROSPORT
Friday October 24th
Practice/Qualifying 12.00 - 15.00
Saturday October 25th
Qualifying 12.00 15.00
Sunday October 26th
Warm-up and 125cc, 250cc and MotoGP races 08.45 14.00
original article
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