MotoGP Season Review 2007 NUMBER 4

By: Julian Ryder . # 4 in an exciting new series of Official MotoGP Reviews

Traces the story of another fabulous season of sport on two wheels, aided by stunning colour photography and supported by clearly presented statistics and graphics.

The change to 800cc marked a new beginning for MotoGP The bikes were slower down the straights but braked later and carried more speed through the corners. Everyone thought that the engineers of the giant Honda company would produce the motorcycle the rest had to beat, as they did when MotoGP arrived in 2002. It didn't turn out like that.

Ducati, the smallest company in MotoGP, fielded a brilliantly realized design and a great new Champion raced it to ten wins in 18 races. Casey Stoner's season was nothing short of brilliant. In his first season as a factory rider, his first on a Ducati, and his first on Bridgestone tyres, the Australian racked up the sort of results that no-one has produced on a European motorcycle since the great Phil Read gave MV Agusta their last title back in 1974. In only his second season in the top class, Casey's career statistics for win rate and number of wins in a season are only bettered by three all-time greats: Giacomo Agostini, Mick Doohan and Valentino Rossi. And you just know there's more to come.

In this fourth edition of the Official MotoGP Season Review, British Eurosport's MotoGP commentator, Julian Ryder, tells the story of each race with the vital assistance of Andrew Northcott's stunning photography. Neil Spalding provides the technical analysis of Ducati's first Grand Prix Championship winner as well as each bike on the grid individually with the help of stunning double-page photographs. There's also the now-customary round-up of each rider's season and a report on the activities of MotoGP's official charity, Riders for Health. And there's the unique and authoritative Riders' Rider of the Year poll in which every rider who has ridden in more than one race votes. If you want to know who really is the fastest in the world have to ask the racers themselves.

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