Capcom MotoGP08 manual Sylvain Guintoli FRANCE/ALICE

.THE RIDERS

. MotoGP

. JORGE LORENZO

. SPAIN/FIAT YAMAHA

It is apt that double 250cc world champion Jorge Lorenzo partly shares a pit-garage with Valentino Rossi for his maiden MotoGP attempt, considering the confident Spaniard’s potential for domination and his tendency towards post-race theatrics. Jorge is seen as the key future star of the competition by more than just his followers. With 17 Grand Prix wins Jorge is the most successful Spanish 250cc rider ever. He won nine races in 2007, more than half the 250cc calendar, and all were taken from pole position.

. SYLVAIN GUINTOLI

. FRANCE/ALICE

Sylvain began his career racing scooters before moving up to become one of the top privateers competing in the 250cc class from 2001 to 2006. Riding Aprilia machinery he took a Championship best of 9th in 2006. He made a strong impression in 2007, despite only entering the top ten on two occasions from seventeen GPs. One of those results was an excellent fourth position in Japan. 2008 will be the first time Guintoli has raced for Ducati.

. JAMES TOSELAND

. GREAT BRITAIN/TECH 3 YAMAHA

The 2007 World Superbike Champion is the only British rider in MotoGP this year. Toseland captured the production-based title before, in 2004, and at the age of 27 knew that the time was right to try his hand at MotoGP. Toseland will be hoping to erase a poor 2007 for Great Britain where, for the first time in the history of the premier-class, a rider from the UK did not score a world championship point. Armed with 2008-spec machinery and the homely Tech3 Yamaha set-up, the British racer carries the hopes of a nation.

. SHINYA NAKANO

. JAPAN/SAN CARLO HONDA GRESINI

With six seasons in MotoGP and nine at World Championship level, Shinya Nakano is one of the older generation. Articulate and amiable, Shinya has been a top ten regular for more than half a decade and negotiates a second year with Honda. Nakano is the third most experienced rider in the MotoGP class this season. 2007 was his leanest season yet in the category as he made the top ten on only three occasions and was seventeenth overall.

. LORIS CAPRIOSSI

. ITALY/SUZUKI.

Three World Championships, wins in every class, and 29 Grand Prix victories in an 18-year period means that Loris Capirossi is now the elder statesman of MotoGP and the most experienced racer on the grid. Capirossi holds the record for the longest winning career in Grand Prix with more than 17 years covering the time from his first GP win (Great Britain, 125cc) to his 2007 victory in Japan. He has finished outside of a Championship top ten only once in 17 years.

. NICKY HAYDEN

. USA/REPSOL HONDA

As the 2006 MotoGP World Champion, Hayden was the last winner in the 990cc era before the change to 800cc engine regulations in 2007. A dedicated approach and consistency ensured that Hayden was the USA’s seventh number one in the premier class during ’06. Nicky finished 8th in his title defense and initially had difficulty adapting to the high-corner speed emphasis of the 800cc machines. He starts his sixth season with the Repsol Honda team in 2008.

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