MotoGP: The Yamaha M1 wins its fifth race from six starts

The 2005 M1

The 2005 M1

The 2005 M1 fitted with the new throttle controller

Valentino on the podium in Spain

idiosynchratic in the extreme - Rossi's signature prayer stance before he mounts a racing motorcycle

Whilst many are quick to pint out that rossi has fallen out with his two main rivals, he clearly has no issues with Marco melandri - his main current rival on the points table.

The start earlier this afternoon - Rossi 46 is at left, but the holeshot went to Gibernau (15) at right and Melandri (33) in the centre

Melandri was at the front of the race for several laps today - he keeps maturing and will almost certainly be the next major threat to emerge after Gibernau and Biaggi

Shinya Nakano's Kawasaki leads Loris Capirossi, John Hopkins and Carlos Checa

John Hopkins continues to ride the wheels of the Suzuki and somehow come up without points. The rumour mill suggests that he might have a more competitive machine next year and it won't have an S in the name.

Valentino made peace with the Spanish throngs after the controversial happenings of the first race of the season in Jerez

Sete had the home track advantage and thousands of adoring fans to cheer him on. He rode like a demon. he got beat!

Makoto Tamada and the lightning fast konica Minolta Honda RC211V

carlos Checa leads Robbie Rolfo on the Ducati, David Checa on the Fortuna M1 and Kenny Roberts on the Suzuki.

The Kawasaki team is slowly but surely working its way to the front of the field

Nicki hayden showed he is close to the front-line pace in Spain - he hung with Gibernau and Rossi for a long time before dropping off the pace.

Gibernau rode as well as any mortal could have - it's almost sad to see him finish second.

Team-mates marco melandri and Sete Gibernau both scored podiums in Spain

The Ducati is again competitive - at some circuits. That's Capirossi on the grid.

The Ducatis are suffering from massive rear tyre problems - not surprising really, given they produce more power than anything else on the track, with perhaps the exception of Tamada's RC211V Honda - easily the fastest of the Honda teams.

Barros was in contention for third place all the way to the end

Troy Bayliss turned in a best-ever perfroamcne on the Honda but it's unlikely that whatever he does from this point forth will save his Honda ride for 2006.

Max Biaggi - one race meeting he is capable of pushing Rossi to the wire, the next he is incapable of riding out of sight on a dark night

Click image to enlarge

The first team to ride M1s was in 2002 - Max Biaggi and Carlos Checa of the Marlboro Yamaha team. Marlboro subsequently moved its sponsorship to Ducati though the team perfromed satisfactorily in MotoGP's first 4-stroke year. Biaggi won two races, the tea

The 2003 Fortuna Yamaha Team of Marco Melandri and Carlos Checa - total podium placings for the year was ZERO!

The 2003 Gauloises Team rode M1s - Alex Barros scored one third place, Olivier Jacque scored one fourth. Total podiums for the season - ONE!

The 2004 M1 riders - Rossi won nine races and the title. Carlos Checa scored ONE pdium - a second place in France.

Rossi and his chief engineer Jeremy Burgess

Rossi mocks the Honda protest over the grid-sweeping incident at the Malaysian race meeting following Qatar.

Rossi starts from the back of the grid in Qatar, 2004. He crashed, as did his relationship with Gibernau. Gibernau has not beaten him since.

It is an understatement of considerable proportion to say that Valentino is comfortable with the media

Valentino and his fellow Yamaha employees

Rossi's world championship t-shirt in Malaysia - the week after Qatar