that was became clear from the pace the two leaders were setting. Casey Stoner was already a few hundredths under the old lap record pace on his 2nd lap, then shattered it on lap 3. But his place in the history books replacing Marco Melandri as lap record holder

, forcing the two rivals to shake hands, a gesture which Pedrosa underwent as if having a tooth extracted.So with Jorge Lorenzo on pole, after setting a truly stunning time during Saturday's qualifying practice, with Dani Pedrosa beside him on the grid

be accurate (if the rumors about Biaggi's fastest World Superbike test time at Valencia are to be believed), and may have been set on either race tires or qualifiers.So, while the excitement was great at Valencia, it was colored by frustration. Valentino Rossi

.It is hard to envisage a place more quintessentially English than Donington Park: Set among the rolling hills of Derbyshire, close to the geographical center of England, the track sits surrounded by green meadows and wooded copses. Perched upon a pedestal

Rossi setting laps well into the 1'56s on race tires. Then, when qualifying came, Valentino Rossi shattered Casey Stoner's pole record from 2006 by nearly 7/10ths of a second. The only question left was how much quicker would the laps be in the race. We

It is difficult to imagine a greater contrast in climate than the chilly, blustery spring conditions of Phillip Island, which the MotoGP circus has just left, and the slow broil of Sepang, set slap bang in the middle of the tropics, where they head

In theory, motorcycle racing is incredibly simple. Rent a racetrack for a weekend, invite a bunch of riders to bring their bikes with them, lay a set of ground rules to try and ensure fair competition, give the riders a couple of sessions to get

The contrast couldn't be bigger. Two weeks ago, the MotoGP circus was at Shanghai, a new, forgettable facility built especially for Formula 1, untouched by the hand of history. This weekend the paddock sets up shop in Le Mans, one of the greatest

. For though the Ducatis sat proudly atop the maximum speed standings, their hegemony only interrupted by the flyweight Dani Pedrosa aboard the Honda, the fastest laps were being set by riders on slow bikes: John Hopkins on the Suzuki and Valentino Rossi

not change from one race to the next, the impact one race can have be worth double or even triple the points on offer. For example, though the difference between 1st and 2nd at the season opener is only 5 points, the race can sometimes set the tone