The ongoing Marco Melandri, Ducati and Kawasaki debate, erm, rumbles on. He said before the event that he:"I like Brno and I've won there in 125 and in 250. Whilst I've not managed a podium in MotoGP I have always gone well in testing. This year they've re-laid the track so that will be a new factor for everybody. We'll see. I hope we can continue to work as well as we did in Germany and America, but this time finish it off with a result in the race."
Melandri will continue to race for Ducati until the end of the 2008 season and all he has to do is stop the crash/be at the back performances if he is to get a Green ride at all.
Melandri's position has become less tenable is recent weeks with the news that veteran Spaniard Sete Gibernau is, apparently, being watched by both Ducati and Kawasaki for 2009. Gibernau, who quit MotoGP in 2006, has been testing at Mugello for the boys in red, lapping within a gnat's of Casey Stoner's race times.
Anthony West has made it clear he knows he is going to get the sack at the end of this year if he doesn't pull his finger out. The Aussie said that he is looking for alternatives for next year in MotoGP, but might also start poking about in World Superbikes.
Honda have denied making an approach to Valentino Rossi to ride for them next season, despite what he has said to the contrary. Ducati have admitted they did, with race boss Livio Suppo basically saying you would have to be daft not to.

Speaking of the Doctor, his boss Masao Furusawa says he never had any doubts that Rossi would sign on the dotted line. Yeah, right ho.

"Super" Shinya Nakano has been tasked with testing the 2009 satellite RC212V. The bike is basically this year's works bike but with some HRC bits taken off it. So that's him not getting a full works bike next year then...

According to MotoGP statistics Tefal Head Dr Martin Raines, Great Britain in second only to Italy on the number of Grands Prix won. Italy have got 698 while we have 382. It looks like Rossi will easily reach the 700 mark this season and we have some catching up to do, haven't we, James?

Latest odds on Jorge Lorenzo not crashing this weekend? 55-1. I know this as I was standing in the bookies behind Lord Lucan...
Loris Capirossi has been told by Suzuki that he cannot ride a prototype GSV-R at Brno this weekend. The Italian, and team-mate Chris Vermeulen, will test a lorry-load of new bits on Monday but the new bike is unavailable until then.