After the excitement and intrigue of the first ever night race in Qatar two weeks ago, business returns to normal this weekend for the Fiat Yamaha Team as the second round of the MotoGP World Championship welcomes the staff and riders to more familiar surroundings in Spain. A spring afternoon in Andalucia, at one of the championship’s most popular testing venues, should provide somewhat more predictable conditions and a more realistic flavour of what is to come from the riders in 2008, with Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo looking to establish their credentials in front of an adoring capacity crowd at Jerez.

Rossi’s love affair with the Spanish fans stretches back to 1996, when he took the first of his six victories in all classes at Jerez. Five of those have come in the premier-class, including with Yamaha in 2005 and 2007, but with the 29-year-old now without a win since Estoril last year, he must win if he is to avoid his longest winless streak since his debut MotoGP victory at Donington Park in 2000.

For rookie sensation Lorenzo the event marks his home debut in the premier-class and he heads into the race full of confidence after taking centre stage under the floodlights of Doha. The 20-year-old started from pole position and finished on the podium in his maiden MotoGP appearance, meaning he lies second in the championship heading to Jerez – a circuit that holds no secrets for the Mallorcan. Lorenzo made history on home soil as the youngest rider ever to qualify for a Grand Prix on his 15th birthday in the 125cc class back in 2002 and 250cc victories for the past two seasons have contributed to his rise as a national hero.

Jerez could barely provide a more strikingly contrasting backdrop to Losail, with the rolling green Andalusian hills providing the ideal setting for a natural amphitheatre that has become known as the Spanish Mecca of motorcycle racing, with upwards of 120,000 fans making the annual pilgrimage. The track itself challenges the riders to pick the most effective racing line, with few hard braking points and little opportunity to fully open the throttle. The 4.423km layout features regular and quick changes in direction, meaning that the rider requires a responsive overall set-up and good grip at maximum lean angles.