MotoReview

Unlike two weeks ago in Jerez the riders have not tested at the circuit beforehand - in fact Honda didn't even attend the most recent Qatar test, choosing instead to go to the Phillip Island circuit. With Pedrosa and the other rookies being less than experienced at finding a good setup for their bikes in a short amount of time, can they perform as well as in Spain?

Nicky Hayden

"I can't wait to see what's going to happen there. With pre-season testing and then the race we were at Jerez for quite a while, so I'm really looking forward to getting on a new track and hopefully we've got a good package for the circuit. I quite like the layout of the circuit - it's got some fun stuff. It's got a couple of banked corners that are fun and there are some long, long right handers which are pretty cool. I'd say my favourite part is the combination of Turn One, Turn Two and Turn Three - two banked corners followed by a fast right-hander. It's going to be a different atmosphere compared to Jerez where it's a packed house because this place there is pretty thin on the crowd. Some of the teams were testing here earlier in the year while we were at a different track. Nonetheless we're ready."

Dani Pedrosa

"It will be a tough race I think because at the first race in Jerez many of the top riders had problems and they will not accept the situation so I think they will be pushing hard to get back to their position from the end of the season last year. And for sure they won't like that I'm already in front so they will be trying even harder to make sure that doesn't happen again. This will make the race faster. This season we're going to Qatar much earlier in the year and we will see how the conditions are because last year was very, very hot. It will be more difficult for me because I have to learn the track with this machine and find the set-up in a much shorter time than here in Jerez where we had a three-day test two weeks before the race."