A guide to the Moto GP season
By Christopher Gibbons
The motorcycle Grand Prix season continues at the Cardion AB Grand Prix, Czech Republic, on 17 August. Here's a quick guide to the series so far
What is Moto GP?
Moto GP is the biggest motorcycle championship in the world. There are 18 Grand Prix events in 16 different countries, with some of the finest riders from around the globe competing on bikes made by the world’s top motorcycle manufacturers. The purpose-built speed machines are dangerous in the wrong hands so they can’t be bought by the general public and cannot be legally ridden on public roads.
Each Grand Prix has three individual races, one for each Moto GP category. Young riders can experience their first taste of Grand Prix action on the single-cylinder, 125cc engines. The intermediate category is the twin-cylinder 250cc class, while the sport’s big guns are tested by the 800cc, four-stroke engines of the Moto GP.
Like Formula One, each race starts from a grid with starting positions determined by qualifying times. But unlike the four-wheeled equivalent, there are three starting positions per row in Moto GP and four per row in the other two categories. The races usually last between 40 and 45 minutes and vary between 95 and 130km in distance.
Who are the main British hopes?
Moto GP: James Toseland, Tech 3 Yamaha team
Toseland won the World Superbike Championship last year, but apparently that wasn’t dangerous enough for him. The 330km/h speeds of Moto GP should keep him happy and he’ll be looking to become the first Brit to win a race at this level for more than 20 years. The piano-playing Yorkshire man has been steadily impressive so far and currently lies in ninth place in the Championship after several top 10 places. He's desperately seeking his first podium finish of the season.
125cc: Bradley Smith: Polaris World team
The 17-year-old was still at school when he enjoyed his first podium finish in 2007 and enjoyed an impressive winter of testing. Smith has shown flashes of his talent - most notably a top-three finish in Spain - and he looks likely to climb up from his current position of seventh place in the overall standing.
Who are they up against?
Moto GP: Casey Stoner, Ducati team
The 22-year-old Australian was the surprise winner of the Moto GP title last year. He won an astonishing ten races in only his second season in 2007 and is determined to prove it wasn’t a fluke by taking the title again this time around. Stoner enjoyed a great start to the 2008 campaign by winning at the Losail circuit in Qatar and had been languishing behind the leaders, but a win at Silverstone, Assen and Germany, have seen him climb up to second place. He will be keen to keep the pressure on Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedrosa.
Moto GP: Valentino Rossi, Yamaha
The Italian superstar is one of the greatest riders of all time and is one of the richest sportsmen in the world. He wasn’t too chuffed when Stoner beat him to the title last year and he wants it back. Though starting with a bit of a shuffle – a disappointing fifth-placed finish in Qatar – the Italian posted a second place in Spain, third place in Portugal and then three straight wins in China, France and Italy, gave him top spot on the leaderboard, which he still holds, but Stoner is gaining ground on him.
You can catch all the high-speed action from every race of the Moto GP season On Demand on BT Vision