2008 MotoGP teams begin to emerge

That’s because France’s Randy de Puniet is heading the other way. In August De Puniet announced that he is making a return journey on the multi-coloured line to LCR Honda, where he really kick-started his Grand Prix career in the 250cc ranks in 2003-04.

Looking at other main-line stations, there will be no change at the Honda works team: outgoing World Champion Nicky Hayden is contracted through 2008, while Dani Pedrosa, the man up-staged by Stoner as MotoGP’s new young gun, announced last month that he’s staying put for another two years. “Although this year things have not turned out quite as we wanted,” admitted former 125cc and 250cc World Champion Pedrosa, “Honda and I have the spirit to come back next year with renewed motivation and be stronger than ever.”

It’s when we get to the outlying stations that the picture becomes a little fuzzier. Former Superbike World Champion James Toseland has a ticket for Yamaha Tech 3, whose boss Herve Poncharal calls the Englishman’s signing ‘a major coup’. Will Colin Edwards leave the main-line Yamaha outfit to team up with Toseland at Tech 3?

Tech 3 are losing Frenchman Sylvain Guintoli to the satellite Ducati team at Pramac D’Antin. The French rider raised eyebrows with a first-day stand-out performance in Brno earlier this season. “It’s always important to do well, but especially now that contracts are being talked about,” he laughed. A Ducati ride is no joke, and Guintoli has since confirmed his growing confidence with a personal best fourth place at Motegi last time out.

But who will arrive at the satellite Ducati team to work alongside Guintoli? They didn’t wait till season’s end to start making changes: Alex Hofmann’s already gone, thrown off the train after deciding a back-of-the-pack finish wasn’t worth fighting for at Estoril, and now we wait to see if another Brit, Chaz Davies, can make the second saddle his in the last three outings of 2007.

Honda Gresini have lost Melandri to Ducati: might they also be on the brink of losing Spain’s Toni Elias? He’s also in the frame for the other Pramac D’Antin ride. On the plus side, Fausto Gresini has already announced a splendid new arrival as he continues his tradition of encouraging young Italian talent. Alex de Angelis is on his way to the Honda team for his own MotoGP debut in 2008.

Lorenzo, De Angelis – and the other man in the top three in the quarter-litre class as we speak, Andrea Dovizioso, is also moving up. Exactly what his final destination will be is unclear at the moment: ‘Dovi’ announced in mid-September that he will definitely join the elite class in 2008, with Honda backing, and possibly with the help of Gianluca Montiron of Konica Minolta Honda.

As the youngsters arrive on their express train, some old-established names may be heading for a slightly slower mode of transport. Alex Barros is not glued to his Pramac D’Antin seat, nor Carlos Checa at Honda LCR. Might the Spaniard replace Toseland on the Superbike stage? What happens to Japanese riders Makoto Tamada and Shinya Nakano? All we know is that anyone who wants one of the few remaining tickets had better get in the queue right now…

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