Rossi leads charge into the unknown

© Fiat Yamaha Team. Championship leader Valentino Rossi leads the MotoGP charge into the unknown in the third round of the title chase at the superb Istanbul Park circuit on Sunday. The seven times World Champion, riding the Fiat Yamaha, leads the championship by nine points with the young pretenders Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa snapping at his heels.

The first two rounds of the championship were held in Qatar and Jerez, both circuits on which the teams and riders had tested the new 800cc machines and the new tyre regulations before the start of the season. They all arrive in Turkey with a blank piece of paper and the practice and qualifying sessions will be crucial before the start of the 22-lap race round the undulating 3.318 miles circuit.

Italian Rossi arrives full of confidence after his impressive victory in Jerez but he has never won in Istanbul while 21-year old Australian Stoner who was victorious at the opening round in Qatar riding the Marlboro Ducati, won the 250cc race two years ago and finished second in a fabulous MotoGP race with Marco Melandri last year. Italian Melandri is chasing a hat trick of MotoGP victories in Turkey but has struggled in the opening two rounds this year. Riding the Gresini Honda, he's fifth in the championship already 26 points behind Rossi and will be looking for his season to kick off as he gets better acquainted with the Bridgestone tyres.

© Repsol Media Service. Pedrosa may have never won in Turkey but he has an impressive record on the Repsol Honda. He finished second to Stoner by less than one hundredth of a second in the 250cc race two years ago and last year crashed out of third place on the last lap of the MotoGP race which he'd started from 16th place on the grid.

Former World Superbike Champion and Rossi's team-mate Colin Edwards looks very comfortable on the new 800cc machines and his third place in Jerez pushed him into fourth place but his fellow countryman Nicky Hayden is hanging on by his finger nails.

The World Champion finished third in Turkey last year but is struggling on the Repsol Honda this year as he defends that hard won title. Hayden is sixth but 28 points adrift of Rossi who's determined to grab the Championship back from the American.

Last year Australian Chris Vermeulen took pole position in the rain at Istanbul Park on just his third MotoGP appearance on the Rizla Suzuki. He returns after a solid start to the season which finds him in seventh place, three points in front of team-mate John Hopkins who's made a blistering start to the season despite riding with an injured hand. The Anglo/American was fourth in Qatar and was pushing for a podium finish in Jerez when he crashed out. The four-week break should see him fit and ready for battle on Sunday.

© Suzuki Racing. Melandri's team-mate Spaniard Toni Elias finished an impressive fourth in Jerez. He was fifth in Turkey last year and set the lap record while the likes of Loris Capirossi, Shinya Nakano and former World Champion Kenny Roberts, riding for the Oxfordshire-based Team Roberts Honda, will be looking to start some serious points scoring as the 18-round season really gets underway after an elongated start.

In the 250cc class, twenty year-old Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo arrives in Istanbul with a full house of 250cc points after victories in both Qatar and Jerez on the Fortuna Aprilia. However, both races have been absolute crackers and the World Champion can expect another rough ride in the 20-lap race on Sunday.

The Master-MVA Aspar Aprilia pair of Alex De Angelis and World 125cc Champion Alvaro Bautista have both claimed second places while the ever consistent Italian Andre Dovizioso is third riding the Scott Racing Honda. Throw in the likes of Hiroshi Aoyama who gave KTM their maiden 250cc win in Turkey last year, his brother Shuhei who brought down pole setter Lorenzo at the first bend last year and Hector Barbara and it could be a repeat of last year where six tenths of a second separated the first four riders.

The 125cc Championship is the closest after two rounds with Hungarian Gabor Talmacsi leading team-mate Hector Faubel by just four points. Both have won a race on their Bancaja Aspar Aprilias but Spaniard Faubel will be favourite on Sunday after winning the race last year. All eyes will be on 15 year-old Spaniard Pol Espargaro who finished a brilliant fourth in Jerez.