The first race of the MotoGP season got underway last night with Valentino Rossi doing what he does best, taking the chequered flag. The Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar got underway with Dani Pedrosa on the Repsol Honda taking the lead as the lights went out, from seventh on the grid. Casey Stoner on the Marlboro Ducati slipped back to fourth place after starting in pole position but was in the lead by the fourth lap after picking off his Ducati team-mate Nicky Hayden, Rossi and Dani Pedrosa. Rossi was soon chasing down Stoner but the Ducati rider had managed to make a gap of two-seconds by the time the Italian had made his move on Pedrosa. However, Stoner lost the front end of his Ducati going into turn 4 and was out of the race leaving Rossi at the front of the pack. Hayden stuck with Rossi after an impressive ride from ninth on the grid as the second Repsol Honda of Andrea Dovizioso replaced his team-mate Pedrosa at the front. Dovizioso got past Hayden before challenging Rossi for the lead, briefly making the pass stick on lap 16 before Rossi snatched it back. Jorge Lorenzo was then on the move as Rossi created a gap at the front, first picking off third place man Hayden before muscling his way through on Dovizioso two laps later. Hayden once again fought his way past Dovizioso but not for long as the Honda rider retook the lead on the final run down to the line for third place. Ben Spies came in to finish in fifth place on the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 followed by the LCR Honda of Randy de Puniet in sixth and Pedrosa in seventh. The second Monster Yamaha Tech 3 of Colin Edwards finished in eighth place ahead of Loris Capirossi on the Rizla Suzuki, riding in his 300 grand prix finished in ninth followed by Hiroshi Aoyama in tenth for the Interwetten Honda team. The Pramac Racing riders Mika Kallio and Aleix Espargaro, both failed to finish the race after crashes along with rookie rider Alvaro Bautista, who slid off track on the final lap of the race. Here are the results;

Moto2 The first ever replacement series for the 250cc series, Moto2 took place with a surprising victory for newcomer Shoya Tomizawa. Every machine on the grid follows the new rules of using Honda-built 600cc four-stroke engines and all are fitted with Dunlop tyres, with the race coming down to riding skills and nerve. As Toni Elias took the lead in the early stages of the race, his back wheel was clipped by his team-mate Alex deAngelis , causing de Angelis and Stefan Bradl out of contention. Tomizawa had moved to the front of the pack as second place man Elias, was moved back to third when Jules Cluzel made his move with 5 laps left to run. Tomizawa took his first ever podium step for the Technomag Seuter team ahead of Alex Debon on the Aeroport de Castelló-Ajo bike in second and Jules Cluzel for the Forward Racing team in third. Elias finished the race in fourth place followed by Roberto Rolfo in fifth, Mattai Pasini in sixth, Thomas Lüthi in seventh, Simone Corsi in eighth, Gabor Talmacsi in ninth and Sergio Gadea completing the top ten riders. Here are the results;

125CC Nico Terol claimed the top step of the podium in the first 125cc race of the MotoGP season for the BancajaAspar team last night. It was Efrén Vázquez who led as the race got underway but the lead spot was soon swapped as Marc Márquez, Terol and Pol Espargaro all took a turn at the front. Terol was however the man of the day followed by Vázquez for second place and Márquez in third. Espargaro finished in fourth place ahead of Sandro Cortese, Randy Krummenacher, Esteve Rabat, Bradley Smith, Tomoyoshi Koyama and Alexis Masbou rounding up the top ten. Here are the results;

Moto2 Test Session - Assen 2009

Starting today the Moto2 teams are at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia, Spain, taking part in a two-day test session along with the World Superbike and World Supersport riders.

The Pons Kalex Team will have Axel Pons and Sergio Gadea aboard their machines following their recent visit to Germany where they have been developing the 2010 model.

The Monster Tech3 crew will have just one of their 2010 riders on track today, Raffaele de Rosa, who will be experiencing the bike for the first time.

The new Italtrans STR team will have their riders Roberto Rolfo and Robertini Pietri aboard putting the Sutar Racing prototype through it’s paces.

Mike de Meglio and Julián Simón will once again be riding the BQR bike which they borrowd for testing in early November to get a taste of the 600cc machine with rumours that they may even get to try out the Pons Kalex prototype on Thursday.

Uncertainty continues over the Aprilia Moto2 project, but it has been confirmed that the team will not be present at the two-day test session it is again rumoured that the senior management have had a change of heart.  If the bike does ever make it onto the track for the 2010 season still remains to be seen although it is looking more and more unlikely.

Niccolo Canepa riding the Ducati 1098

It has been announced that the Italian rider Niccolo Canepa has signed with the Scot Racing Team for 2010 to ride in the Moto2 series.

After a rookie year in the MotoGP series on a satellite Ducati, Canepa said;

“I’m absolutely delighted with the agreement we have signed.  I’m also really happy at the opportunity of playing a creative role in a working group that has displayed great potential and results – this season and in the past. A new class and a new bike: it will be a tough job, but with a rewarding outcome.  The target is to do well.”

The 21-year-old rider took the Superstock 1000 championship title in 2007 on a Ducati, followed by a year testing for their MotoGP and World Superbike machines.  In 2009, he rode for the Pramac Racing team but struggled throughout the season, finishing in fifteenth place overall and losing his seat.

The Scot Racing team were also out of the MotoGP series for next season after suffering financial difficulties but excelled in the 250cc class, winning the championship with their Japanese rider Hiroshi Aoyama and the rookie of the year award with Raffaele de Rosa.

Tech3 Team

The 2009 Scot Racing Team rider Raffaele de Rosa and the Japanese rider Yuki Takahashi, have both signed contracts to race for the Tech3 Moto2 Team in 2010.

De Rosa, 22-years-old, was crowned the 2009 ‘Rookie Of The Year’ in the 250cc world championship, where he finished the season sixth overall after two podium finishes.

Takahashi, 25-years-old, lost out on his ride this season after the Scot Racing Team came under financial pressure after seven rounds of the championship, in the 2008 season he finished in fifth place overall.

The two new team members are to debut in Valencia on December 9th-10th, for a two-day test session at the circuit before beginning a rigorous winter training regime.

The Tech3 team manager Herve Poncharal said;

“I am delighted that Tech3 has been able to attract such high calibre talent for our new and exciting Moto2 project. Raffaele is without doubt one of the hottest young talents we’ve seen for a long time and I am proud and excited about the prospect of working with him. I presented the Rookie of the Year award to him last weekend and he has impressed me a lot in 2009. I have always looked at our Moto2 team as an opportunity to develop young riders who may one day show they deserve a chance to move into MotoGP with us. I genuinely believe Raffaele has the potential to be a MotoGP rider in the future.

I’m also thrilled that Yuki has joined Tech3. The French and Japanese connection at Tech3 has always worked well, particularly with Shinya Nakano, who we had a long and successful relationship with. I’ve no doubt that Yuki’s arrival will be very positive for us. He has had a lot of bad luck recently but I can see he is very determined and highly motivated to be part of our project. I’m also very happy that Daniele Romagnoli has agreed to join us. He has a top profile but more importantly he brings a lot of technical expertise and experience with him. I’ve no doubt that he will be a huge asset and his input will be vital in helping us develop the new bike.”