MotoGP

World Champion Valentino Rossi found the first qualifying session... interesting.

Reacting to qualifying second at the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar on Saturday MotoGP title holder Valentino Rossi was in a positive frame of mind ahead of the first race of the year, though he admits he and his team have plenty of work to do on Sunday.

The Italian will be trying to prevent poleman Casey Stoner from registering a hat-trick of Qatar wins as the 2009 season gets underway and says there are some points on the track where he couldn't match the Australian on Saturday.

Dainese and AGV launch an original and amusing project that encourages all motorcycle racing fans to personalize their Valentino's Face helmets with their own faces.

At the Mugello 2008 Grand Prix race, Valentino wore a helmet that left everyone on hand speechless.

Big Bang? No, Think Crossplane.

Yamaha's mass production YZF-R1 superbike has more in common with Valentino Rossi's feral M1 than ever before, now that a key component of championship-winning MotoGP engine technology has trickled down to the track-ready street bike.

The fastest rider at all three MotoGP tests this year, Ducati Marlboro's Casey Stoner looks to be in a strong position to challenge Valentino Rossi for the premier class crown.

Casey Stoner's goal this year is clear. He aims to reclaim the MotoGP title from Valentino Rossi having seen the Italian run away with the championship in 2008, as the Australian endured an inconsistent campaign and his 2007 title slipped from his grasp.

Italian on target to try for BMW M Award win and new season.

Last out on track, Valentino Rossi made the most of the five remaining hours of Saturday testing in Jerez to record the second fastest time of the day. The Fiat Yamaha rider appeared on track shortly after 1pm, electing against riding in the wet conditions left behind by some early rainfall. He ended the day with a 1'39.861 fastest time from 65 laps, and a confident outlook on the final day of preseason.

Second Part of Fiat Yamaha Presentation Sees Team Ready for Coming Season.

Continuing on from the team's online presentation -sent across the world on February 12th of this year- Fiat Yamaha concluded the two-part unveiling of their 2009 project with a press conference in their hospitality suite on Friday evening.

The bookmakers have Valentino Rossi down as a favorite to win his seventh premier class title.

Following two preseason tests thus far in 2009 and ahead of next week's MotoGP Official Test at Jerez, the bookmakers have marked the reigning MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi out as the clear title favourite.

Valentino Rossi, MotoGP Motorcycle Racer, Turns 30 Today, February 16th 2009.

The Fiat Yamaha rider has had an immensely successful career to date, winning eight world championships, 97 races and becoming the most successful premier-class rider of all time. As he enters his 14th season in the world championship, his sixth with Yamaha, he is still the dominating force in the sport, having recaptured the title in typically exciting style last season.

Motorcycle Helmet

Just released from AGV (now part of Dainese) is the latest Valentino Rossi-replica helmet. The helmet that Rossi helped design includes his iconic sun and moon graphics on AGV's latest and most technologically advanced racing helmet.

The Tribute Jacket to Valentino Rossi.

Michael Toschi created the buzz at our Concours d' Elegance, at the Portola Plaza Hotel in Monterey, Calif., during MotoGP weekend with the introduction of various high-end leather goods and accessories. This collection included motorcycle boots, shoes, shirts, and, of course, the ultimate moto jacket.

Master Compressor Extreme

One of the world's fastest men on a motorcycle, eight-time MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi is tough to catch; nevertheless, luxury watch manufacturer Jaeger-LeCoultre caught him long enough to collaborate with Rossi on a series of "46"-themed watches.

When you see Valentino Rossi tearing across the tracks of the MotoGP circuit, he's wearing an AGV TiTech helmet. That's a pretty good endorsement, and I'm sure AGV pays a king's ransom for #46 to wear their wares. The nice thing about trickle-down, is that we can buy (prices range from $500 to $680, depending on the graphics) and wear a helmet that is built to the standards of a MotoGP champion.

Somehow, I ended up in the same corner of the Castrol Honda Superbike hospitality tent as MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi and his friends while attending a World Superbike race at Misano, near Rimini and Riccione, on Italy's Adriatic Coast. I sat a few tables away and watched as Rossi's party chatted and ate prosciutto, apparently enjoying a relaxed day at the track.