British Riders MotoGP
Assuming everything goes to plan and we all don’t freeze up very soon there will be five British riders in the three Grand Prix classes in 2009. Here's the press release from MotoGP commentator, fan and eminence grise, Nick Harris:
Five British riders take on the very best in the World when they compete in the 2009 MotoGP World Championships. Four teenagers plus a former World Champion will compete in one of the World's most demanding and exciting of all sporting arenas that starts under the floodlights of Qatar on April 12.
The MotoGP World Championship continues to grow from strength to strength in these difficult economic times. Entries are up next year in both the MotoGP and 250 cc classes while the average weekend attendance for the 18 grands prix this year was a staggering 134,233 spectators.
Heading the entry list is 28 year old Yorshireman James Toseland who starts his second season in the MotoGP class riding the Tech 3 Yamaha. The former World Superbike Champion had some great rides in his debut MotoGP season and claimed five sixth places on route to 11th place in the Championship that was regained by Italian Valentino Rossi.
Spearheading the line-up in the very competitive 125 cc class will be British Grand Prix winner Scott Redding and 18 year Bradley Smith. Gloucester-based Redding who is 16 years old next month, had an amazing first season highlighted by his victory at the British Grand Prix at Donington Park. Riding the Blusens Aprilia he eventually finished 11th in the Championship and remains with the Spanish-based team next year.
Smith finished sixth in the Championship thanks to five podium finishes and three pole positions. Next season he will ride for the Championship winning Bancaja Aspar Aprilia team under the guidance of former 80 and 125 cc World Champion Jorge Martinez.
Tough little Kent-based Danny Webb has retained his place in the Dutch DeGraff Grand Prix team after a really hard season. His year was a mixed bag of great results and crashes resulting in injuries. He fought bravely to 19th place and will be fully fit and raring to go in 2009.
The newcomer to the Championship is 17 year old Matthew Hoyle from Bradford in Yorkshire. After a very successful apprenticeship in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup last year Hoyle steps up to the World Championship stage riding for the much heralded Chinese Maxtra team. There will be enormous interest in both the progress of the Chinese team and the Yorkshire teenager in the Championship that sees the departure of World Champion, Frenchman Mike di Megio to the 250 cc class.
