Valencia, the first GP without Sic

The Grand Prix of Valencia will be the first and the last. The first race without Marco Simoncelli, his number 58 Honda, his curly mop of hair, his big smile and his desire to joke around. It will be the last race of the 2011 season, and the last for the 800cc MotoGP bikes, as the series is set to switch back to 1000cc displacement. It will be the first GP in which the riders try and return to normalcy, confronting their fears and memories, dealing with a strange mix of glory and tragedy. It will be the last race before the winter break, and for some it will be a time to say goodbye to their long time teams, or to racing altogether.

Remembering Marco – Sic will be present in the hearts and minds of every rider, every MotoGP worker, and every fan. The 500 staff members of the Ricardo Tormo Circuit will all wear black armbands in his honor, Andrea Dovizioso will display the number 58 on the chest of his leathers, and Valentino Rossi will certainly have a special tribute, which has thus far remained a secret. To best honor Marco's memory, his father Paolo has requested that every engine in the paddock be revved, rather than observing a traditional moment of silence. "Nobody feels like racing, but we must do it for him, and all the fans of our sport," said Loris Capirossi. "We have to put on a good show in Marco's memory," added Casey Stoner.

Andrea versus Dani – Of course the GP of Valencia will be the last of Loris Capirossi's long and illustrious career, which has spanned an amazing 22 seasons. It will also be Andrea Dovizioso's last as a Honda rider, before the Italian takes the controls of a Tech 3 Yamaha M1 during the post race test session. He arrives in Spain with a four point lead over his teammate Dani Pedrosa, and a third place season points finish would be the best in the Italian's MotoGP career thus far. Dovi has been on the podium a total of six times in 2011, but he has yet to win a race this year.

Two more titles – The Moto2 and 125cc championships have yet to be decided, although both have their heavy favorites. Stefan Bradl leads the middle class standings by 23 points, and it's still unsure if Marc Marquez will even be fit to race. The Spaniard will undergo a final medical exam tomorrow, and the definitive decision will be made at that time. The red flag which prematurely ended the Sepang race was crucial for Bradl, as he could have clinched the championship had he passed winner Thomas Luthi.

Another rider who could have clinched a title in Sepang was Nico Terol. The Spaniard struggled with the pressure and Malaysian heat, however, and so he arrives at his home circuit with a 20 point lead over Johann Zarco. Only a debacle could prevent him from winning the last ever 125cc, and two-stroke, world title, before the series switches over to the 250cc, four-stroke Moto3 format.