MotoGP 2009: Runners and riders


#3 Dani Pedrosa		Honda


		Starts: 52 Wins: 6 Poles: 11
		The Spaniard carries the weight of the Honda Motor Company on his shoulders, not easy when you're struggling for fitness after a frightening string of injuries Doubts remain over his title credentials, having won just six races in three seasons

#4 Andrea Dovizioso		Honda


		Starts: 18 Wins: 0 Poles: 0
		A wise owl who would be on the tip of everyone's tongues if he wasn't measured against fellow sophomore Jorge Lorenzo Works ride with Hayden's title-winning crew is a dream chance, but will his loyalty to Honda (he's never ridden anything else) be his downfall?

#5 Colin Edwards		Tech 3 Yamaha


		Starts: 102 Wins: 0 Poles: 3
		A contender on his day but some dismal starts and woeful tyre choices have hurt him Had a major spat with Toseland after the Briton 'stole' his crew chief A double World Superbike champion so knows how to ride, and his 'tell it how it is' attitude is good for the sport

#7 Chris Vermeulen		Suzuki


		Starts: 55 Wins: 1 Poles: 3
		Has to deliver in 2009 because a single win at a wet Le Mans doesn't count in Vermeulen's world Bike is an evolution so shouldn't be any nasty surprises. Has a clever engineer in Tom O'Kane, who pioneered data logging in MotoGP Fit as a fiddle and rarely crashes

#14 Randy de Puniet		LCR Honda


		Starts: 53 Wins: 0 Poles: 0
		Tough kid who has the mad glint in his eye, but will be hamstrung due to non-HRC Hondas having to run 1000rpm lower than the factory bikes Can take the harder compound tyres in his stride when others struggle

#15 Alex de Angelis		Gresini Honda


		Starts: 18 Wins: 0 Poles: 0
		On a satellite bike while team-mate Elias gets the HRC machine, but hardly helped his cause by crashing frequently last year Bigger 2009 bike means he's got a chance of fitting on it A wily thinker who will also go out and just wring the bike's neck

#24 Toni Elias		Gresini Honda


		Starts: 62 Wins: 1 Poles: 0
		Back on a Honda after being fooled by Stoner's 2007 title into thinking the 800cc Ducati was easy to ride Can go like the wind but hasn't delivered over a full season. Has a propensity to only go quickly at contract time, but is a proper fighter Has an HRC bike, so no excuses.

#27 Casey Stoner		Ducati


		Starts: 52 Wins: 16 Poles: 15 Titles: 1
		Still the fastest over one lap, but can he do a race distance comfortably after all sorts of wrist surgery and complications over the winter? No worries inside the garage, enjoys an excellent understanding with his Ducati team

#33 Marco Melandri		Hayate Kawasaki


		Starts: 96 Wins: 5 Poles: 0
		Hayate still has some clever people on board so could 'do a Brawn' and improve on previous squad's form if the loss of interference from parent company is a boon Melandri needs to prove to himself that he can still ride after petrol-wasting season on a works Ducati

#36 Mika Kallio		Pramac Ducati


		Rookie 3rd in 250cc in 2008
		Cool, even by Finnish standards, and deceptively quick, impressively out-pacing fellow Ducati new-boy Nicky Hayden in the winter Reticent personality means he'll let his results do the talking - wonder where we've heard that before?

#46 Valentino Rossi		Yamaha


		Starts: 150 Wins: 71 Titles: 6 Poles: 41
		Already a six-time MotoGP champion, Rossi got inside arch-rival Stoner's head at Laguna last year and that counts for a lot Somehow injured his foot while putting up curtains during the winter Always in the ball park even when he isn't the fastest

#52 James Toseland		Tech 3 Yamaha


		Starts: 18 Wins: 0 Poles: 0
		Second season in the MotoGP so now knows the circuits and the vibe Had some tremendous, hard-fought, races in the midfield last year, earning plaudits from hard riders like Capirossi Started 2009 literally on the wrong foot after a massive, metatarsal-breaking, high-side...

#59 Sete Gibernau		Francisco Hernando Ducati


		Starts: 153 Wins: 9 Poles: 13
		One of the 990cc greats, the only man to consistently challenge Rossi Lack of a world title still smarts and he can still ride but might need rain to shine on a satellite Ducati Work on Hernando's £4.7b property development recently stopped, but at least the team paid for bikes up front

#65 Loris Capirossi		Suzuki


		Starts: 169 Wins: 9 Poles: 13
		Will he ever stop? Amazing to think that he won his first race and 125cc world title back in 1990 Was very quick in the recent Qatar test, proving that the Suzuki bike is stronger than last year and will be up there fighting as always

#69 Nicky Hayden		Ducati


		Starts: 98 Wins: 3 Poles: 5 Titles: 1
		Walks six inches taller after escaping the negative atmosphere of Honda Will be stung by lack of test mileage and needs more time on the Ducati His slang and humour is lost on the Italian mechanics and could lead to communication problems

#72 Yuki Takahashi		Scot Honda


		Rookie 5th in 250cc in 2008
		250cc midfielder satisfying Honda's need for a Japanese rider Was the best Japanese on a Honda in 250cc after Hiroshi Aoyama left for KTM some years ago, but not going to set the world on fire

#88 Niccolo Canepa		Pramac Ducati


		Rookie Ducati test rider in 2008
		Well educated and measured rookie stepping up from Ducati test role Has a great deal of experience from Superstocks and some Superbike rides, plus many km around Mugello for Ducati Can he be quick enough? Probably, but not in this team

#99 Jorge Lorenzo		Yamaha


		Starts: 17 Wins: 1 Poles: 4
		Stunningly fast, one of the biggest talents of his generation. Can he be quick enough to become a thorn in Rossi's side as Criville was to Doohan? Switching from Michelin to Bridgestone could be a difficult step but there seems to be an open flow of information from Rossi