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Page 2 of 4 Fortuna HondaWe reckon: This year Marco Melandri is joined by ex-250cc rider Toni Elias. After coming second to Rossi last year Melandri will no doubt be keen to up his game this season, whereas Jerez will be Elias' first MotoGP race and he'll likely be seeing 2006 more as a learning experience. Like many of the Honda riders, Melandri has had some problems with rear grip but says that now the team has a 'good base' - we will have to see. Marco Melandri: "I can't wait to get out onto the track at Jerez, a circuit I like a lot because it is technical and complete. There is so much expectation for the start of the championship and it's guaranteed to be a real spectacle. Jerez will be a very combative race with so many riders in the right shape to challenge to win. I am also ready. I can already feel the adrenaline and I am sure that will push me to take that extra step forward and be competitive. I am quite satisfied; after a tough winter we have managed to create a good base. We still have to improve a little bit and then I can be fast, like I showed I can be last season."  Toni Elias: "Finally the testing is over and the championship is starting. Over the winter we worked a lot, keeping a philosophy of taking small steps forward. I tried to remain calm and focused to try and understand the bike and adapt it to my style without just going for a lap time at all cost. I've covered a lot of kilometres, I now feel more comfortable on the bike and my race rhythm has improved. I'm looking forward to the start - I can already feel the tension of a race. I'm happy to be starting out in Spain, in front of my fans. Jerez is a nice Grand Prix, not just for the track but also for the fans - the feeling when you enter the ‘stadium' section is unbelievable."
Kawasaki We reckon: During the winter Kawasaki have appeared to be punching above their weight, so to speak. They've put some good times in at various tests and even gone fastest on a couple of days. 'Super Shinya' Nakano remains at the team but will be joined this year by Randy de Puniet, another of several 250cc riders who have made the step up to the MotoGP class this year. 2006 could well be Kawasaki's biggest year yet.  Shinya Nakano: "We will arrive at the first race with higher expectations than we have had in the past, and I'm confident that, in the 2006 Ninja ZX-RR, we have a package that will enable me to improve upon my fifth place in this race last year. Jerez could be one of the places where we have the best chance of a podium finish."
Randy de Puniet: "If someone had told me back in October that I'd finish the second day of the Jerez IRTA test fourth fastest, I would not have believed them. I feel really comfortable on the bike and it's working well here in Jerez, just as it has at all the pre-season tests. I'm looking forward to returning to Jerez for my first MotoGP race, where I hope I can repay all [of the teams] hard work with a good result."
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