Current leader, Jorge Lorenzo, has ended either first or second in every event so far this year, giving him the title of the first racer since Valentino Rossi to begin his session with eight successive stage appearances. The Fiat Yamaha competitor was second in the previous round at Germany and arrives to California with a 47 point lead over Dani Pedrosa in the rankings.

"I have some painful memories of this track," says Lorenzo, over the pre-event press conference. "In 2008 I crashed on cold tyres in the first corner and injured my feet, which meant no dancing during the holiday! Last year I crashed twice on cold tyres, once on the front and once on the rear, but then went on to get pole and finish on the podium. Laguna is certainly a special place, very different to the rest of the circuits we race at, but I like riding here, especially the Corkscrew. I want to race here in perfect condition, without injury, and I hope I'll have the opportunity this weekend."

When questioned on whether he is concentrating about the Championship and not just race victories, Lorenzo adds, "You have to pay a lot of attention to your limits, know where they are, try and stay within them and finish on the podium whenever it's possible. We hope to have a good race this weekend."

Joining the leader at the press conference were the victors of the round in Sachsenring, Dani Pedrosa, two times victor at Laguna Seca, Nicky Hayden, current World Champion, Valentino Rossi and Silverstone stage finisher, Ben Spies.

Pedrosa was victorious at Laguna this time last season and is seeking his first back-to-back victories in the premier session.

"The last few races have been good for us and I have good memories from this race last year," states Pedrosa. "I hope that, this weekend, we will have more good memories to take away from Laguna Seca with us."

"The Championship still isn't over as the gap to Lorenzo can be closed. We have a lot of races to go, but we can only take things race by race and do the best we can," ends the Repsol Honda racer.

Leading the home power this weekend will be Ducati competitor Nicky Hayden, who is sitting fifth in the Championship rankings. The American claimed two of his three Grand Prix victories at Laguna. No American racer has ended on the podium at Laguna since Hayden's victory in 2006.

"Laguna has always been good to me and to my brothers also," comments Hayden. "I'm looking forward to the weekend ahead and I hope we can get a good result here, because we need one after struggling at the last few races. We're just going to go for it and see what happens."

Only six weeks after breaking his leg at Mugello, Valentino Rossi returned to racing at Sachsenring and arriving fourth after an huge battle with Casey Stoner that allowed the Aussie to steal the final stage spot from the Italian at the final turn. Rossi now arrives to Laguna where he was victorious in 2008 and ended second last year.

"After the race in Germany I didn't have any extra problems, especially with my leg, so I'm in quite good shape," explains Rossi. "It will be important tomorrow to see if Laguna Seca gives me more problems with the leg, but if I can ride like at Sachsenring it's possible to have a good weekend here. Laguna is a great track and one that I like a lot. I had one of the best wins of my career here in 2008, after battling with Casey. There are a lot of left corners, which is not so bad for me, but the Corkscrew could be a bit of a problem. We will see."

Ben Spies is also looking forward to this weekend, as he comes back to one of only three circuits on the calendar where he has competed on a MotoGP bike previously. The Texan ended eighth at Laguna in 2008 as a wildcard racer for Suzuki.

"Laguna has always been a special track for me, even when I used to come here in the AMA series," says Spies.

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Roger Lee Hayden is ready for a strong race this weekend at home at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, he will compete for the LCR Honda squad as a substitute for the injured Randy de Puniet.

Hayden is aware of the tough challenge slotting into the premier class, however the 27 year old says he is prepared for the battle and hopes his talented potential at a circuit he knows well is shown.

“I have an uphill battle I guess in not knowing the bike and never having ridden it against the best riders in the world, but it’s something I knew when I accepted the challenge,” says Hayden. “My season in World Superbike hasn’t been great so I look at this as an opportunity to put on a good show. It’s not every day you get asked to race in your home GP.”

Commenting on his goals for the weekend, he adds, “I want to go there and do a good job, to show that I am a capable rider, and to get a good job for next year, whether that’s in MotoGP, Moto2 or World Superbikes. Everybody comes to Laguna and everybody pays attention to the GP. At the same time I know that I have never ridden the bike before and it’s been a long time since I rode a GP bike, which was just the once (in 2007 as a wildcard at Laguna). I’m not going to prove anything if I go there and crash the bike. I don’t have big expectations but at the same time I want to do a good job and keep it on two wheels!”

Sibling Nicky was also a part in orchestrating the move, with Roger Lee stating that LCR team owner Lucio Cecchinello approached him to ask about his younger brother’s availability. Kevin Schwantz also had a role, which included a phone call from Cecchinello shortly after.

“I agreed to it pretty much straight away,” said Hayden. “The only problem was that I’m doing the Moto2 race (as a wildcard) at Indianapolis for American Honda, so I kind of had to get their permission. I was already committed to them and I didn’t want them thinking I was taking any opportunity that came up, and they were great about it. It all happened pretty quickly, I was just blown away. In a 15-minute span I had a text (from Nicky) asking me if I was interested in riding at Laguna, and phone calls from Kevin and Lucio… I was like: ‘What’s going on?!’.”

Nicky’s advice was an important factor, Roger Lee continus to explain, “He just told me to think about it at first, because I was riding a superbike the weekend before, two days later I was testing a Moto2 bike for American Honda, and now I’ll be riding a MotoGP bike. He’s been very supportive, and has helped speed things along with getting information to the team and back to me. He played a big part in it. On a race weekend he has a lot of stuff going on himself.”

On the idea of challenging with his brother in the event, he adds, “I haven’t really thought about that! But I’d like it because it would mean I’d be doing a pretty good job if I’m battling that high up the field! I think however that would be setting my expectations on a bit of an unrealistic level. If it happened I would like it, but I know it’s highly unlikely.”

Hayden also discussed that he will be racing a MotoGP bike this weekend, then a Moto2 at Indy only five weeks afterwards.

“I’m just happy to be getting these opportunities in whatever order they come in,” he states.

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Mika Kallio had a consistent progress via the satellite Ducati of the Pramac Racing squad at the eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland over the weekend, prior to suffering a crash in the event ending his hopes of a strong finish early.

The Finn began well to the original race that was since red flagged following a smash by Randy de Puniet, however Kallio then crashed at turn one after the event was restarted.

“The first start in the race was not too bad and we were able to get into the top ten positions more or less, and we were fighting for that. But then the crash happened,” says Kallio.

“The second start was not too bad but immediately I crashed in the first corner. I think the rear tyre was just cold and as soon as I touched the throttle I lost the rear, and the race was finished for me.”

Adding to the disappointment was that Kallio had a good feeling on his bike and was due for a strong result, after experiencing difficult times.

“We thought it would be a good race for us because everything was going better than in the other races and we were in much better positions, and our lap times were okay.

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Ben Spies was disappointed with his eighth position at Sachsenring on Sunday, a strong outcome for the rookie but one he felt did not receive enough reward after his performance.

“Eighth place does not reflect what happened on track today and it was quite clear that I could have been much higher,” says Spies. “I had the misfortune in qualifying yesterday that was nobody's fault, but starting that far back hurt me today.”

The American used the initial half of the event by making up ground from his qualified spot of 13th, after suffering a crash where he slipped on spilt oil.

“It wasn't easy to pass Melandri because his bike accelerates really well but once I got by and could run my own race, I was really happy with how I performed. Dovizioso, Simoncelli and Nicky were five seconds clear at that point but I got to just over a second away from them.”

Spies adds, “I was pretty much the fifth fastest guy on the track and I definitely had a fifth place result in me today, but I just had bad luck with the qualifying crash. But I leave with a top eight result and I'm not that far away from fourth in the Championship now.”

The American is now eighth in the overall rankings, only 16 points off fourth positioned Casey Stoner as he prepares for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix this weekend where he is anxious to please at his home ground.

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Valentino Rossi’s comeback to competition following injury offered a highly anxious spectacle by fans, as the reigning World Champion placed fourth after being beaten to a stage spot on the last corner of the race at Sachsenring by Casey Stoner.

With a short 21 lap race due to the red flagging of the original event, the Italian of the Fiat Yamaha squad did not take it easy whilst still healing right leg, he challenged throughout the competition, only to be beaten by Stoner by 0.366s.

The "Doctor" surprised himself with his own abilities, and comments, "I didn't expect this! I thought it was maybe possible to make fourth or fifth place but I thought it would be very difficult. In the end I was fourth but I had a great battle with Casey and I was so close to the podium, so this is a fantastic result after missing four races.”

Rossi was very happy even though he just missed out on what would have been an amazing top three end, he adds, “I need some more kilometres to really recover the feeling and feel completely okay with the bike again, but I think I did a great job and this was a very good comeback, better than we could wish for. I felt a bit of pain in my shoulder but more in the leg when changing direction, but at the end the battle with Casey was such fun that I didn't think about it. Unfortunately though he just got the better of me on the last corner!”

The MotoGP session now arrives to Laguna Seca next weekend, where Rossi came second in last season’s event, he outlines his goals for the Red Bull US Grand Prix.

“Thanks to all my team for helping me come back and be competitive like this, we will try to do even better in Laguna,” he ends.

Davide Brivio, Team Manager for Rossi, states, “One week ago we didn't know if we'd be able to ride here at all and then day by day our targets changed. We would have been happy whatever with a top five today but finally we were really competitive and so close to the podium.

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The Ducati squad prepare for battle at the technical German track this weekend in Sachsenring. It is a circuit where Nicky Hayden and Casey Stoner have taken good results, plus the layout is enjoyable for both racers.

The pair arrive to the eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland with full confidence, both keen to improve on their 2010 campaign season. For Hayden, who appeared on the podium four times at Sachsenring through 2004 and 2007, there are many parts of the circuit he appreciates.

“It is a very short lap at Sachsenring and the first part of it is very tight and technical, with probably the slowest run of corners on the whole calendar. Turns 1, 2, 3 and 4 are all in first gear – it’s like a car park!” says Hayden. “The back section is really fast though, with one of the coolest corners in MotoGP, which we call the ‘Waterfall’ – you arrive in fifth gear and nosedive into a blind corner. You have to be decisive there or you can easily lose a few tenths.”

“It is a track I like a lot and on paper it is one of the best on the calendar for me. I really like left-hand corners and this track is full of them, so it is also important that we have dual compound tyres here,” he adds.

Colleague Stoner is also a fan of the layout, where he claimed his first World Championship podium in the 125cc session in 2003 and won in MotoGP in 2008. The 24 year old is also happy with the progress made on his Desmosedici GP10, after back-to-back stage appearances in the prior two rounds.

“We have always had pretty good races at Sachsenring, I got my first-ever podium there and I’m definitely looking forward to it,” he says. “We’re a little more confident with the bike, everything has worked well enough in the last three races and we just need to find a bit more speed – just a few tenths of a second. We have to try a few different things to get some grip without losing the good feeling we have with the bike at the moment.”

On the pre-requisites for the German circuit, Stoner adds, “You definitely need good side grip at Sachsenring because through a lot of those long corners you need to keep the gas open as long as possible. Also when you come over the top at turn 12 the rear gets very light and wants to wriggle around, so you really need some traction over the top there.”

“I’m looking forward to the next race because if we can find a good set-up it can give us the opportunity to do well.

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Valentino Rossi finished a test ride at the Brno track on Monday on a YZF-R1 world superbike engine, as he and the Fiat Yamaha squad endured extra assessments of the Italian’s physical health.

After completing 46 laps with a best time in the 1’59.1 area, the World Champion stated that he felt less agony than last Wednesday’s test at Misano, which was his initial time back on a bike following his fracture to his right tibia in early June.

“I’m very happy with how it went, I felt much better than in Misano – last week was pretty hard but I feel better and better and we have had five days between those two tests. This time my knee and shoulder didn’t hurt as much,” says Rossi.

A decision will be made on whether he can attempt a comeback at Sachsenring this weekend on Wednesday, following X-rays to determine the stage of healing.

“Now I’ll have to wait to take a decision on Wednesday after we have some X-rays as to whether I race or not in Germany. Doing a full race will be a different story, but I still have another couple of days to get a bit better,” states Rossi.

“Racing in the next two races would be important in order to be in good shape in Brno (on August 15th), however I think we’ll have to wait until Misano (on September 5th) to be fully competitive.”

Rossi ended a session of runs via the YZF-R1, which was arranged for him by the Yamaha WSB squad, his final conclusion of how he felt was encouraging.

“Riding the YZF-R1 was good fun, I have to thank the team for preparing the bike for me,” he says.

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Casey Stoner will race for HRC next year after announcements confirmed on Friday, July 9th, the 24 year old Aussie will finish his association with Ducati at the completion of the current MotoGP season 2010, bringing a relationship to an end that has been incurred over four years and has shown a MotoGP World Championship title in his initial season with the Italian factory.

Ducati confirmed after “four years of extraordinary collaboration” the last event of the 2010 year at Valencia on November 7th would be the conclusion of a partnership that began in 2007, the year that the Desmosedici GP7 had its debut in the fresh 800cc session and where Stoner was victorious of the MotoGP title.

“I would like to thank Casey on behalf of our fans and our sponsors, but most of all on behalf of all the people working at Ducati,” comments Filippo Preziosi, Ducati Corse General Director. “The victories and emotions he gave us rewarded all the hard work and sacrifice we made. In these four years together we have had a lot of great moments. Securing the 2007 MotoGP World Championship title and the victory at Mugello in 2009 were moments that we will never forget. In Casey we not only found an incredibly talented rider, but also an honest and loyal guy and that’s why there will always be a strong and sincere bond between us, even as a competitor.”

Stoner adds, “I must thank Ducati for giving me such a great opportunity to race and win with them over these past four years. They took a gamble when they signed me at the end of 2006 as I was unknown, but as we worked together we were able to win a Championship, many races and challenge for the Championship in the last two seasons. I have now decided to move on and I will have new challenges in the future and different obstacles to overcome, but I will not forget these years with Ducati and the people I have had the privilege to work so closely with. So a big thanks to Ducati and all our sponsors who we have shared success with while achieving lifelong goals.”

Following Ducati’s confirmation, HRC stated that Stoner will be a factory Honda competitor in next year’s squad. Stoner united with Ducati in 2007 after having raced for the LCR Honda team in his debut year back in 2006.

“We are very pleased that Casey will join Honda again next year,” says HRC Vice President Shuhei Nakamoto. “Clearly he is one of the top riders in MotoGP and he will bring valuable speed and experience to our team. In the factory Honda squad we already have two very strong and experienced riders in Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso who are performing very well and currently hold second and third positions in the 2010 World Championship.

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Valentino Rossi’s is slowly healing from his fractured right tibia as the Italian rode a Yamaha superbike engine at Misano, the initial time back on two wheels following his injury.

After the completion  of 26 laps, Rossi’s Fiat Yamaha Team Manager, Davide Brivio, commented on how well the test had been received.

“This test was definitely very important because it allowed Valentino to understand what the problems are and what still hurts and doesn’t,” explains Brivio. “I’d say the leg was quite good but he still had some shoulder pain, which was what we expected. This can give us an indication of the preparations we need to make for the next ten days.”

On a possible return for the eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland on July 16-18, Brivio adds, “Whether he can ride at Sachsenring or not will be decided within the next week, around Tuesday or Wednesday, on the eve of the GP. It will depend on how he feels and how he works in the next seven or eight days, and we will be able to understand then whether he will make it or not.”

He continues, “It is difficult to be able to do another test (before Sachsenring) because there isn’t another available bike. The one he used here will be in Brno this weekend. If he works in the gym and the preparations go well, he will probably be present at Sachsenring and we will try the M1 directly there.”

Brivio explained how encouraging it is to see Rossi back on a bike, despite feeling some aching, "The Doctor" happily enjoyed the time.

“He looked to be extremely happy to be back on a bike again, and it gave me the impression that he had missed being on a bike a lot during this period. He spoke about the bike and made some comments, just like in a normal test. I have seen how much pleasure he got from riding the bike,” he says.

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Following his broken leg, Rossi rode 26 laps in total at Misano on a YZF-R1 WSB engine supplied by the Yamaha World Superbike Team, and claimed a best lap time of 1'38.200. The World Champion initially raced 11 laps at 18.30 CET with a quickest time of 1'41.000, then another run of 15 laps at 19.45 CET with a fastest time of 1'38.200 (unofficial times).

Rossi was able to race quite well however he incurred some agony in his leg and shoulder. He will continue with his rehabilitation program and decide within the next week if he is able to race at the German Grand Prix at Sachsenring.

"We made this test in order to understand how we must work from here and to see more or less how I can ride the bike," says Rossi. "The test was positive, because I can at least ride, but there is a lot more to a MotoGP race than to a test like this one. I had some pain in the ankle, the knee and the shoulder, but above all I lacked strength in the shoulder and a bit of movement in the ankle. I would really like to come back at Sachsenring, but it is still too early to say. We still have twelve days and we must wait and see how much we can improve my condition in the next few days.

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Jorge Lorenzo is fairly relaxed as round seven of the 2010 MotoGP World Championship arrives this weekend, with the Gran Premi Aperol de Catalunya ending a tough session of three back to back events.

The hectic time line has not appeared to taken a hefty toll on the 23 year old Fiat Yamaha competitor as he heads the Championship rankings by 47 points after being victorious in the last two races.

Now approaching a home event, the Spaniard is aware of his strengthening position, and the pressure is on his opponents to gain  momentum. “We’re 47 points ahead of second place in the Championship, so this means we can finish second or third, but the others must win all the races from now until the end of the Championship. Of course we will try to win but if not we will try to finish the race,” explains Lorenzo.

“In theory Pedrosa is the favourite apart from us as he is second in the Championship, so together with Stoner he is the most dangerous. But every race is different so we will see what happens.”

Last season's race gave spectators a much contested battle, as Lorenzo and colleague Valentino Rossi (who is still injured), challenged for victory to the end. The Italian won the race, however Lorenzo is focussed to produce a strong challenge in The Doctor’s absence.

“Last year I had the chance to win but Valentino was cleverer than me in the last corner, he overtook me at the very end and I finished second,” he states. “This year without him there is one less rider, but the other riders and the other factories are very competitive so to win we will have to fight from the beginning until the last lap of the race.”

Lorenzo is thrilled with his stage appearance on his home track this year, however he will be very keen to win amongst his home crowd on a circuit he has yet to win at in the premier class.

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Marco Melandri’s focus to forget about the last two events will see the Italian try and race through the pain this weekend, as he prepares for the Gran Premi Aperol de Catalunya while still healing from a dislocated shoulder incurred only a week ago.

A highside smash in the second practice last Friday at Assen ended in much discomfort and agony for Melandri as he dislocated his left shoulder, missing the event. Having crashed in the prior round at Silverstone, the 27 year old will not be laid down for the upcoming seventh round at Catalunya, he has undertaken major physiotherapy to ensure he can compete.

"I’m going to Barcelona with the clear objective of putting the disappointments of Silverstone and Assen behind me,” says Melandri. “I will obviously have to wait and see how I feel on the bike after such a big crash in Holland but my determination to race again is huge.”

“I have had a lot of treatment on the shoulder since Saturday and even though I still won’t be at peak physical fitness I am determined to get back out on track. I really want to build on the progress we made in practice at Assen, where we confirmed our recent progress with the set-up of the bike.”

Doctor Giuseppe Porcellini made another assessment on Meladri recently and stated he will need further checks on the ligaments around his collarbone and shoulder. These tests will occur after Barcelona this weekend, therefore Melandri has been cleared to ride.

“I hope I am fit and able to continue the recent good work we’ve been doing so that we can have more to be pleased with by the end of the weekend,” adds Melandri.

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Colin Edwards and his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team were intensely working over the TIM TT Assen to make improvements to his front end feeling on his M1 bike following his dissatisfaction at Silverstone, the American was more pleased with the response of his bike at the Dutch track after positioning in eighth place.

Issues are still imminent for Edwards and his squad, however the 36 year gained encouragement from the progress incurred after assessment.

“It was a tough race and we haven’t quite got it sorted yet. We tried some different front-end settings this weekend to try and get a little more feel. I think it’s getting better but I found it difficult to release the brake, that’s the main thing. I feel like I’m having to hold the brake, keep the front load and get it turned. We got lots of information and we go to Barcelona and see if we can improve it and make it better,” explains Edwards.

“I can’t be upset, I left everything out there and rode as hard as I could. It’s different when you know you’re not riding well or didn’t put in all the effort… I’m riding as hard as I can but it’s just not happening at the moment.”

The events continue to arrive at a fast pace with the Gran Premi Aperol de Catalunya to be held right after Assen, Edwards is looking forward to racing at a circuit where he finished fourth last season.

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Casey Stoner was on pace in the start of the practice session of the TIM TT Assen on Thursday, taking a best time only 0.011s off the leader Jorge Lorenzo, who headed the timesheet.

Adding to the steady improvements of some modifications to his front suspension, the Aussie feels he is gradually moving forward to the level he desires, however there is still more progress to be made.

“It’s been one part we’ve been struggling with this year and in the last few races that we have changed the fork we’ve made some good progress,” says Stoner. “The progress unfortunately has been a little bit slow. In Mugello we were never competitive, at Silverstone by race day we were feeling much better but then we weren’t able to make the start with the bike we had. So I’m a little disappointed because we should have had a podium result this year, quite a few I think, but it’s the way things have gone for us this season and we just need to keep focused for each race.”

He adds, “Today was no different. We made a few setting changes and improved the bike a little bit as the session went on, but we still have to make some more improvements. We’ll have a go tomorrow and see if we can make the bike turn a bit harder without losing too much traction in the rear, and we should be quite confident for the race.”

The Australian was satisfied with the changes to the Ruskenhoek turn at Assen, in which it has been shortened, and believes it suits his style better.

“The old corner where they have changed it now was probably the worst part of the track for me, and probably the worst part of the season!” Stoner continues. “The other bikes were able to run over the kerbs with a lot of confidence, and every time I tried to the bike wanted to highside me, so it was very difficult.

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Yamaha Motor Racing have announced their experienced test racer Wataru Yoshikawa will unite with the Fiat Yamaha squad for the Gran Premi Aperol de Catalunya on July 4th, taking the spot of World hero Valentino Rossi until the Italian is back to complete fitness after suffering a broken leg.

Yoshikawa will race Rossi’s YZR-M1 for the Italian’s team as part of the Fiat Yamaha garage, and is anticipated to join the squad for a minimum of three races, until more news of Rossi’s return.

Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing Srl, Lin Jarvis, states, “We have considered many different scenarios and candidate riders to fill the temporary vacant seat in the Fiat Yamaha Team. We had always planned to use a rider from within the Yamaha Motor & Tech 3 family but for each rider we considered who is in active competition, their move to the Fiat Yamaha Team would have created another problem for their own racing programme or for the teams in which they are engaged.”

“Finally, after a great deal of consideration, we have selected Wataru Yoshikawa, our Japanese YZR-M1 test rider, to join us as our substitute rider. We provisionally plan for three races (Catalunya, Sachsenring and Laguna Seca) but we will adjust the plan accordingly when we know more about Valentino's expected date of return.”

Yoshikawa has competed as a wildcard once before in MotoGP when he ended 12th at Motegi in 2002, he adds, "I'm happy to have this chance to stand in for Valentino while he is recovering and to compete in MotoGP again. Looking at the Fiat Yamaha Team results with the 2010 YZR-M1, I can see that the winter developments were correct and now I am looking forward to having the chance to gather some ‘real racing' data, which will be very helpful for the future development of the M1."

Jarvis welcomed the experience of the 41 year old Yoshikawa, he adds, “The benefit of Wataru's presence in our team will be threefold. Firstly he brings with him a wealth of experience riding the YZR-M1. Secondly his presence allows us to fulfil our contractual obligations and to join the team's quest to accumulate points for the Team Championship. Thirdly he will gain valuable first hand MotoGP race experience in three challenging circuits which will surely be very useful to assist him and Yamaha with the future development of the YMR-M1.

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Ducati Marlboro racers Nicky Hayden and Casey Stoner were frustrated after ending fourth and fifth respectively at the AirAsia British Grand Prix at Silverstone on Sunday.

Hayden looked like he was going to appear on the stage and claim his first podium finish of the year as he was in third place on the final lap, but a small error from the American let Ben Spies through at Abbey Corner as he ended up fourth in the fourth event of the year.

“It’s a pretty frustrating result because the team did a great job with the bike after the warm-up and it was a lot of fun to ride,” explains Hayden. “Unfortunately I didn’t get a good start – we’ve been having some little clutch problems and didn’t get away well.”

“The race was really fun, everybody was going back and forth, I was able to make some moves in the corners but just didn’t really have the top speed in the straights. It’s hard for me to dress this result up because I’m not happy to finish fourth again but the good thing is we were in the hunt again. We did something good with the bike today so hopefully it will work at Assen, a circuit I love,” he adds.

Stoner fell ten places following a bad start to the race which made him drop to the back of the field as the racers went into the first corner, however an excellent ride from there onwards allowed the Aussie to finish fifth by the end.

“I’m not happy with fifth place because we were capable of more today,” states Stoner. “I don’t know if we could have challenged Jorge for the win but we definitely found something in warm-up and made more improvements in the race, but we paid the price for a terrible start. As I let the clutch out the bike started jumping and hopping around and I had to pull the clutch in and go again, by which time everybody was past.”

He adds, “The tyres were fresh on before the warm-up lap so in the early laps I had to be really careful before being able to start overtaking and I lost a lot of seconds.

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Jorge Lorenzo has arrived at Silverstone for the AirAsia British Grand Prix with a 25 point advantage over Dani Pedrosa in the Championship rankings, however the Fiat Yamaha racer was fast to advise that the crown is not on his mind at this stage of the season.

"For me it's better not to think about the Championship and focus more on enjoying each race and improving my riding, because we know there are improvements to be made," explains Lorenzo.

With Valentino Rossi not racing from the MotoGP grid this weekend after his Mugello practice smash, Lorenzo will be the only Fiat Yamaha competitor on circuit at Silverstone, a track that is fresh to all racers.

"I like to do a lot of laps in practice, which will help with learning the circuit, but we won't be taking any risks tomorrow, as the track looks a little dirty at the moment,” he adds. “The track will clean up with each session, so the fast lap times will only come on Saturday. From a quick look around the circuit on a scooter the track looks very long and very wide, with lots of different types of tarmac, but I guess we'll only see how it feels on the bike tomorrow during free practice."

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) has shown he is a major contendor following his win in Mugello, whilst his RC212V has already shown an advantage in speed over his rivals at some of the quicker circuits this year.

"The last race was good for us," states Pedrosa. "With the bike we are improving little by little and we've had two good and two bad results so far this season. Hopefully this weekend will be another good one. This is a long track, without the short cut back to the pits that we had in Mugello, so it will be important to make the most of each lap during practice and qualifying."

Marco Melandri (San Carlo Honda Gresini) will also be prepared after his momentum from Mugello into this weekend's event. The Italian, who currently sits seventh in the Championship rankings, managed to find a setting that suited his racing style at his home event when he took fifth.

"The bike was certainly better in Mugello, but I'm still not 100% happy,” says Melandri. “There are still improvements to be made and I hope we can continue to make them here at Silverstone this weekend. The track looks amazing and I hope we will be able to put on a good race for the fans on Sunday."

Casey Stoner (Ducati Marlboro) arrived fourth at Mugello, this is his best result so far this season following a difficult beginning to the year, he will be eager to claim his first podium of 2010 and progress in the standings.

"We didn't have the start to the season we wanted, but we thought we could be competitive at Mugello because it's a track we've gone well at before,” he states. “To arrive there and have problems like we did was a real shock to the system."

Stoner is one of limited few that has raced at Silverstone prior to contesting the British 125cc Championship at Silverstone in 2001 and 2002, however he expects that will be of little assistance on the redeveloped track.

"I raced here nine years ago, but I think that there are only four corners still in use from that time with the new track layout. I certainly don't think that counts as circuit knowledge, so it definitely won't give me any sort of advantage this weekend,” he adds.

Paul Denning, Team Manager of the UK based Rizla Suzuki squad comments, "We made some big steps with the bike over the winter, but then we had some issues at the start of the season with Loris' confidence in the bike and also with Álvaro's injury.

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The landmark ground of cricket hosted a variety of MotoGP racers on Wednesday as Jorge Lorenzo (Fiat Yamaha), Nicky Hayden (Ducati Marlboro), Scott Redding (Marc VDS Racing), Bradley Smith (Bancaja Aspar), Danny Webb (Andalucia Cajasol) and Khairuddin Zulfahmi (AirAsia - Sepang International Circuit Team) all arrived to Lord’s cricket ground in London.

The infamous venue was the campaign of the official pre-event ahead of this weekend’s AirAsia British Grand Prix, before the seriousness of racing competition began at the fresh Silverstone track, the six competitors were given a lesson in the history of the traditional English sport.

Redding, Smith, Webb and Zulfahmi all took turns to bowl at Lorenzo and Hayden, both were fully clad in cricket whites. It was the Ducati Marlboro racer who seemed to get the hang of it much faster, hitting some boundaries prior to offering tea and scones alongside Lorenzo.

Lorenzo, who ended second in the previous round at Mugello and is 25 points in the lead, adds that he preferred two wheels than holding a cricket bat. Ahead to the weekend, the Spaniard also adds, “I’m confident of being able to challenge for the win now, in Italy there was an issue with pace and the bike not stopping perfectly.”

Hayden is also satisifed with his Desmosedici GP10, while Smith stated that he is confident for a battle for victory in the 125cc session, which is a possibility on his home track.

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Day of Champions started over 20 years ago and has become a traditional beginning of the British MotoGP weekend. There is no other occasion like the Day of Champions in any other category of sport as spectators of motorbike racing truly enjoy this time on the calendar. The best part is all money raised aids Riders for Health to help save lives in Africa.

Stunt shows, live music, rides with sidecar racing squads, interviews and prizes are all part of the action.

Riders for Health is the official charity of MotoGP and Day of Champions allows motorcycle fans the chance to participate in behind the scenes views of the world of motorbike racing, the squads open the gates to the paddock and pit lane for lucky ticket holders.

The stars of MotoGP appear on the podium at the inaugral Riders for Health auction. The auction will be hosted by Eurosport commentators Toby Moody and Julian Ryder along with BBC MotoGP presenter, Matt Roberts.

Early in the day 200 riders will participate in the traditional Day of Champions ride-in, headed by three times British superbike champion, Niall Mackenzie, MCN editor Marc Potter, and Red Dwarf star, Danny John-Jules.

Stunt hero Gary Rothwell will be entertaining the crowds with his amazing stunts, along with the team from the Xtreme Trials display.

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At 1530 CET today, Valentino Rossi was transferred from the Centro Traumatologico Ortopedico in Florence, Italy, he has been there recovering after surgery last week to heal his broken right leg.

Rossi was released by ambulance to a helicopter, and being flown to a hospital in Cattolica which is close to his home,

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