The 2006 racing season is almost upon us. This year sees the introduction of several riders moving up from the lower classes to the big guns and opens up the possibility of a new Champion if any of them are looking to topple Valentino Rossi from his perch. Adding to the mix are new teams that will also be keen to cement their place on the Grid, so I think this year will mark a change.

Having said that, I personally think the only person left this year to give Valentino a run for his money is Marco Melandri. I think Casey Stoner, Nicky Hayden, Makoto Tamada and Randy De Puniet will round out the top 5 in the Championship but won't manage to get past Valentino.
Marco Melandri seems to be continuing last seasons run at testing in the off season and as the newer riders become used to the bikes they should also improve. Although the more experienced Riders are still in the running, they haven't been anywhere near Rossi for a long time, so I don't believe they will this year either.

Testing continues at Catalunya from March 3 for the MotoGP category with the BMW award dash for the car on 5th March.