The provisional entry lists for next year's three motorcycle grand prix series have been released by the FIM, showing few surprises but beating Ilmor's confirmation that Jeremy McWilliams and Andrew Pitt would ride its X3s.
New MotoGP world champion Nicky Hayden has been listed against the #1 plate, breaking the recent tradition set by Valentino Rossi of a rider retaining a trademark number. The Repsol Honda rider will thus give up the #69 that he carried to success at the last round in 2005. Team-mate Dani Pedrosa will carry #26.
Rossi remains unchanged with the #46 set to adorn his Yamaha for another season, while team-mate Colin Edwards will ride with the #5 on the front of his machine. Makoto Tamada retains the #6 despite his switch from Konica Minolta Honda to Tech 3 Yamaha, while Carlos Checa takes his preferred #7 from the French squad to Honda LCR. Completing the triangle, Shinya Nakano will transfer his familiar #56 to the Konica Minolta operation.
Series returnees Alex Barros and Olivier Jacques will campaign their recognisable #4 and #19 plates, while it can be expected that the #99 will adorn McWilliams' Ilmor entry, even though the Irishman was missing from the entry at the time of issue. Sylvain Guintoli will use the #50 in his debut season with Tech 3, while Casey Stoner carried the #27 to the Ducati factory operation.
Jorge Lorenzo will carry the #1 on his Fortuna Aprilia in 250cc, but the 'top plate' will be absent from the 125s following champion Alvaro Bautista's graduation to 250. The Spaniard will run the #19 in the higher class, riding for the Master-MVA Aspar Aprilia team.
The provisional entries for all classes read as follows:
MotoGP
1. NICKY HAYDEN USA Repsol Honda Team Honda 4. ALEX BARROS BRA Pramac d'Antin Ducati 5. COLIN EDWARDS USA Yamaha Factory Racing Team Yamaha 6. MAKOTO TAMADA JPN Tech 3 Yamaha Yamaha 7. CARLOS CHECA SPA Honda LCR Honda 10. KENNY ROBERTS Jr USA Team Roberts KR211V 17. RANDY DE PUNIET FRA Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki 19. OLIIVIER JACQUE FRA Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki 21. JOHN HOPKINS USA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 24. TONI ELIAS SPA Honda Gresini Honda 26. DANI PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 27. CASEY STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 33. MARCO MELANDRI ITA Honda Gresini Honda 46. VALENTINO ROSSI ITA Yamaha Factory Racing Team Yamaha 50. SYLVAIN GUINTOLI FRA Tech 3 Yamaha Yamaha 56. SHINYA NAKANO JPN Konica Minolta Honda Honda 65. LORIS CAPIROSSI ITA Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 66. ALEX HOFMANN GER Pramac d'Antin Ducati 71. CHRIS VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki TBC JEREMY McWILLIAMS GBR Ilmor SRT Ilmor X3 TBC ANDREW PITT AUS Ilmor SRT Ilmor X3
250cc
1. JORGE LORENZO SPA Fortuna Aprilia Aprilia 4. HIROSHI AOYAMA JPN Red Bull KTM GP250 KTM 7. ALEX DE ANGELIS RSM Master-MVA Aspar Aprilia 10. IMRE TOTH HUN Team Toth Aprilia Aprilia 12. THOMAS LUTHI SUI Emmi Caffe Latte Aprilia 15. ROBERTO LOCATELLI ITA Squadra Corse Metis Gilera Gilera 17. KAREL ABRAHAM CZE Cardion AB Motoracing Aprilia 19. ALVARO BAUTISTA SPA Master-MVA Aspar Aprilia 22. PABLO NIETO SPA Wurth BQR Honda 25. ALEX BALDOLINI ITA Kiefer-Bos-Sotin Racing Aprilia 28. DIRK HEIDOLF GER Kiefer-Bos-Sotin Racing Aprilia 32. FABRIZIO LAI ITA Campetella Racing Aprilia 34. ANDREA DOVIZIOSO ITA Humangest Racing Team 250cc Honda 36. MIKA KALLIO FIN Red Bull KTM GP250 KTM 41. ALEIX ESPARGARO SPA Wurth BQR Honda 44. TARO SEKIGUCHI JPN Campetella Racing Aprilia 45. DAN LINFOOT GBR Winona WCM Aprilia 50. EUGENE LAVERTY GBR Honda LCR Honda 54. KEVIN COGHLAN GBR Winona WCM Aprilia 55. YUKI TAKAHASHI JPN Humangest Racing Team 250cc Honda 58. MARCO SIMONCELLI ITA Squadra Corse Metis Gilera Gilera 60. JULIAN SIMON SPA Repsol Honda 250cc Honda 73. SHUHEI AOYAMA JPN Repsol Honda 250cc Honda 80. HECTOR BARBERA SPA Team Toth Aprilia Aprilia TBC RATTHAPARK WILAIROT THA Thai Honda PTT-SAG Honda TBC TBA TBC Aprilia Germany Aprilia
125cc
6. JOAN OLIVE SPA Toshiba Racing Aprilia 7. ALEXIS MASBOU FRA FFM Honda Grand Prix 125 Honda 11. SANDRO CORTESE GER Emmi Caffe Latte Aprilia 12. ESTEVE RABAT SPA Repsol Honda 125cc Honda 14. GABOR TALMACSI HUN Bancaja Aspar Aprilia 16. JULES CLUZEL FRA FFM Honda Grand Prix 125 Honda 17. STEFAN BRADL GER Repsol Honda 125cc Honda 18. NICOLAS TEROL SPA Valsir Seedorf Derbi Derbi 24. SIMONE CORSI ITA Skilled ISPA Racing Team Aprilia 25. DOMINIQUE AEGERTER SUI Multimedia Racing Aprilia 27. STEFANO BIANCO ITA WTR Blauer USA Aprilia 29. ANDREA IANNONE ITA WTR Blauer USA Aprilia 33. SERGIO GADEA SPA Bancaja Aspar Aprilia 35. RAFFAELE DE ROSA ITA Multimedia Racing Aprilia 37. JOEY LITJENS NED Arie Molenaar Racing Honda 38. BRADLEY SMITH GBR Repsol Honda 125cc Honda 44. POL ESPARGARO SPA Campetella Racing Junior Aprilia 51. STEVE BONSEY USA Red Bull KTM GP125 KTM 52. LUKAS PESEK CZE Valsir Seedorf Derbi Derbi 53. SIMONE GROTZKYJ ITA Multimedia Racing Aprilia 55. HECTOR FAUBEL SPA Bancaja Aspar Aprilia 56. HUGO VAN DEN BERG NED Wurth BQR Aprilia 60. MICHAEL RANSEDER AUT AJO Motorsport Derbi 63. MIKE DI MEGLIO FRA Humangest Racing Team 125cc Honda 71. TOMOYOSHI KOYAMA JPN Red Bull KTM GP125 KTM 75. MATTIA PASINI ITA Toshiba Racing Aprilia 95. ROBERT MURESAN ROM AJO Motorsport Derbi 99. DANNY WEBB GBR Arie Molenaar Racing Honda TBC RANDY KRUMENACHER SUI <Red Bull KTM GP125 KTM TBC STEFANO MUSCO ITA Humangest Racing Team 125cc Honda
* Names in italics not on original entry, but added following team announcement