Moto GP / Trent Burton / 24 April 2009 / Leave a comment

This weekend we're in Japan for Round two of the 2009 MotoGP season. Trent Burton looks forward to round 2 of Stoner v Rossi.

Previously in MotoGP
When we finally got a race a fortnight ago in Qatar after a freak storm it was simply The Casey Stoner Show. Never before have I seen Valentino Rossi look as visibly concerned as he was at the post-race press conference following Stoner's utterly dominant win. But Valentino knows it's a long season and now we move to Motegi for round two.

The Circuit: Motegi
Motegi is a real stop and go sort of track with a lot of hard braking areas and bursts of acceleration unlike the flowing nature of Qatar. A well balanced setup here is the key with all facets, especially the tyres and brakes, getting a full work out. The championship has been clinched here the last two years but with the race moved forward for 2009, that's not an issue but the lower temperatures will now make tyre wear even more critical. Rossi took the race win here last year and before that it was three in a row for Loris Capirossi, then on the Ducati.

Rossi vs Stoner
Rossi will be keen to strike back at Stoner as soon as possible and has already taken first blood topping the sheets, albeit by less than a tenth of a second, during Friday's practice. The Yamaha rider was in an upbeat mood afterwards saying it was a relief to be back on top after finishing a distant second in each session in Qatar to Stoner's Ducati. Even so he is still second favourite for victory at [2.18], which is really excellent value. The Italian will be desperate not to let Stoner gather any early momentum and with the times much closer this weekend we can expect a good battle at the front. Favourite currently at [1.88], Stoner can't be discounted but I'll be waiting to see if Rossi can pip him in qualifying, or at least keep the gap close, and I would expect to see his price drift slightly offering some better value in what is shaping up as a close race.

The Pursuing Pack
Representing just how far ahead of the pack the Italian and Australian are, despite posting some good times in practice, Jorge Lorenzo is again next best at [14.0] currently, but I just can't have anyone for the win, regardless of the price, beyond Rossi and Stoner.

In which case your attention is best turned to the Top 3 market which generally heats up after qualifying on Saturday. Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso will more than likely be at the top of the tree here but the two I'm keeping an eye on are the Suzuki duo of Chris Vermeulen and Loris Capirossi.

In the case of Capirossi, he has had much success here and is on the pace so far, as he was in Qatar, running with the leaders until a mid-race fall. Vermeulen had a shaky start last time but was a super impressive fourth on Friday in Japan on a dry track, but with rain tipped at some point over the weekend, the wet weather specialist may very well factor in an even bigger way come Sunday.

The Last Word
Everything looks set for an cracking race after the procession that was Qatar so set your alarms for the early start on Sunday morning, live from Japan on the BBC and Eurosport. If all stays dry, my podium order for the race is Rossi from Stoner with a charging Capirossi taking third.