Bike racing fans are smug about comparisons with F1 racing. With good reason. Motorcycle racers overtake one another. They battle it out through the corners. It's proper sport, rather than an exposition of technical prowess where overtaking takes

by Yamaha, dismayed Tech 3 team boss Hervé Poncharal, who was more than pleased with the 2007 progress of his own protégé, fellow-Frenchman Sylvain Guintoli, who has now gone to Ducati.I enjoyed watching Michael Schumacher belting round Valencia on a

WE'RE SAYING goodbye (or should that be good riddance?) to the Chinese Grand Prix and judging by the reaction of many teams and riders it seems Shanghai won't be missed one iota.Few riders seem to like the layout. Marlboro Ducati’s Casey Stoner said

.Both riding Yamahas, Elias for a satellite team, it was an old-fashioned clattering match, decisively won by the whippersnapper. An ex-125 and 250 rider finding advantage over the man with mainly four-stroke experience.Another blow for that pack that haunts

his GP debut at the age of 15. It took him three years to win the 125 title, where it took Rossi just two - but Rossi started at the age of 17. New rules allowed Dani to join GPs at just 15, so he already has two years on Rossi.In 2004, Dani moved

- but Honda has a cunning plan to help them find out.The 2002 choice of 990cc was arbitrary, and the big news in their first year was cracking 200mph - achieved first by Aprilia at Mugello.They're a lot faster now, and more powerful still for 2005, hence

track: Phillip Island, which takes over from Assen (pole lap speed 112.79mph) as the fastest track of the year. Last year's Australian pole speed was 110.404mph.But not all modern tracks are Mickey Mouse. Brno remains vast and grand, giving the 990s a

all agree on the importance of the class. Big factories may take a step back from direct involvement, leaving the action to customer teams, and possibly for smaller manufacturers like Italjet and Derbi, as is the case now in the 125 class

the rest are enjoying the well-developed 2005 machine. Including his young superstar team-mate Dani Pedrosa.Problem is, the new bike seems to be a right handful, and with nobody else able to give a second opinion this leaves Hayden out on a limb. Or, say

. Casey Stoner is also 20, and also keen to replace Rossi as the next star. He's also pretty focused, but there's some character there. He gives off a simmering aura reminiscent of another great Australian rider. Pedrosa may be like Doohan, Stoner reminds