Valencia to be very special, says Pedrosa

Dani Pedrosa is sure that emotions will run high as MotoGP continues with the final race of 2011 in Valencia this weekend. The community will be without Marco Simoncelli following the tragic events of Malaysia two weekends ago.

“Valencia will be a very special race for everybody,” says the Sabadell rider. “This weekend we will all have Marco in our thoughts and I hope the fans show their respect and appreciation to him, as the whole MotoGP family will do.”

Pedrosa remains in a tussle with Honda team-mate Andrea Dovizioso for third overall, with the Italian currently ahead by just four points.

“Valencia is a track I like a lot and I'm looking forward to seeing all the fans there again,” he continued. “Last year I couldn't perform very well due to injury, but this time I hope to have a good race and finish the season in a good shape.”

Ducati to test new aluminium frame in Valencia

Rossi and Hayden will test a conventional twin spar aluminium frame at Valencia

Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden are expected to give a public debut to Ducati’s new conventional twin spar aluminium frame during the traditional post race test in Valencia next week.

The factory Ducati pairing have both tested the new frame in separate sessions at the Jerez circuit recently as Bologna factory engineers desperately seek to improve front-end feeling with the Desmosedici which has hindered Rossi and Hayden throughout 2011.

Ducati technical guru Filippo Preziosi has been forced to abandon Ducati’s carbon fibre concept for the time being with Rossi losing faith in the innovative concept because it lacks the front-end feel he wants.

The Italian has been pushing Ducati to build a conventional frame for months and his crew chief Jerry Burgess said it was an avenue that has to be explored.

Rossi started using an aluminium version of the carbon fibre frame from the Motorland Aragon round in mid-September.

But the version to be rolled out in Valencia next Tuesday will be a full conventional twin spar frame like the chassis employed by their Japanese rivals.

Burgess told MCN: “We need to understand what a more conventional frame offers. Ducati have put in place the right people to understand these concepts and to deliver to us at the race track various concepts and gain an enormous amount of knowledge that will help the race department for years to come.

"The fact that in the last two or three months Ducati have changed so much and so quickly is an indication of how keen they are to get the project to the pointy end.

"We don’t want to go too radical too quickly because that could actually be detrimental to the project but there’s a long time between now and the first test in January and even longer to the first race and plenty of time to explore what designs they feel they should.”

Andrea Dovizioso 'not in right frame of mind' for Valencia

Andrea Dovizioso has admitted he is not in the right frame of mind to race in this weekend's season finale in Valencia following the tragic death of rival and fellow Italian Marco Simoncelli in Sepang.

Dovizioso and Simoncelli had raced together since childhood and the former 125GP world champion frequently criticised Simoncelli's aggressive riding style after numerous battled in MotoGP.

But Dovizioso, who will partner Cal Crutchlow in the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team in 2012, has felt the loss of Simoncelli more than most because of his career long battles with the popular 24-year-old.

Simoncelli died from head, neck and chest injuries sustained in a crash on the second lap of the Malaysian Grand Prix on October 23. The San Carlo Gresini Honda rider was struck by Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi and pronounced dead less than an hour after the accident.

Dovizioso confirmed he will pay tribute to Simoncelli by wearing a large number 58 on the chest of his leathers in Valencia and he said: "I’m very sad for the loss of Marco. I’m going to Valencia not in the right frame of mind for a race. I will wear Marco's number 58 on the chest of my leathers, close to my heart, this is the only thing that counts. I have raced with Marco throughout my whole career, he was “the rival” and now that he is no longer with us, he has left a big void and I want to convert this feeling of emptiness to determination."

Dovizioso will be trying to secure third place from team-mate Dani Pedrosa in the final championship standings this weekend. He is four-points clear of the Spaniard and he added: "I hope to get a good result at Valencia mainly because it is important for me to finish third in the Championship but I know the race will be difficult as it is not one of my favourite circuits and Dani is very strong there. Also, the GP of Valencia is my last race with Honda and I really would like to crown these ten years together with a good final race."

Pedrosa said: "Valencia will be a very special race for everybody. This weekend we will all have Marco in our thoughts and I hope the fans show their respect and appreciation to him, as the whole MotoGP family will do."

Racing best way to honour Marco Simoncelli, says Casey Stoner

Racing at Valencia best way to honour Marco Simoncelli, says Casey Stoner

New MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner says the best way to honour the late Marco Simoncelli is to race and put on a good show in the final round of the season in Valencia this weekend.

The Aussie, who claimed his second premier class world title just a week before Simoncelli lost his life in a horrific accident on the second lap of last month’s Sepang race in Malaysia, said: "It will be difficult to return to racing this weekend after Marco's terrible accident in Sepang but I think it is the best thing we can do to honour him. We know we all play a risky game and, even if compared to the past the safety of our sport is much better, unfortunately these kind of events still occur. My thoughts go out to his family and I hope that they are coping through this period."

The Repsol Honda rider was leading the Sepang race when it was red flagged on lap two because of a horrific accident involving Simoncelli, Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi.

Simoncelli was struck by Edwards and Rossi after he lost control of his San Carlo Gresini Honda machine at Turn 11 and the popular Italian succumbed to head, neck and chest injuries.

Stoner added: "The race this weekend is the final round of an incredible season for us, we worked hard all year and after clinching the title in Phillip Island we are starting to look to 2012. After the race here in Valencia we will have the two-day test on the 1000cc machine and then we can take a well-deserved break and reflect on the ups and downs of a very long hard season. We will go out there this weekend and try to put on a good show for all the fans and especially in memory of Marco."

God's Speed Marco

I followed Marco through his career and what a talent and a fantastic guy he was. He always gave his all and never gave in to his critics - he rode his race the way he wanted to and gave many of us a great pleasure in doing so.

Although I never knew him personally I wished I did - I felt like I did and will miss him dearly.

Marco you join a very unique list of greats, sadly who have been taken from us far too soon.