Stop the Hypocrisy over Valentino

All this hypocritical hand-ringing from the FIM, Dorna, team managers and sponsors is so much old bollocks. Valentino Rossi has done MotoGP the greatest favour possible by first launching his verbal tirade against Marc Marquez, and then by bundling the bloke off the track at Sepang.

The world is talking about MotoGP as never before. You can't buy a ticket for Valencia, and the media centre here is overflowing so much that they've run out of desks to allocate. If you applied for your media accreditation late, as I did, you get pointed to a table and told, "See if you can find a space there. But if you leave it, someone else might be there when you get back."

I'm not complaining about the lack of facilities at the Ricardo Tormo circuit, that's just the way it is. Down in paddock lane - sort of the Oxford Street of the MotoGP circus - there's a constant mass of spectators milling outside the Movistar Yamaha racetruck, waiting to catch a glimpse of megastar Valentino as he flits into or leaves his pitbox. Working technicians and race officials have to inch through to go about their duties. Such is the Clooney-like appeal that Valentino exerts.

Today in the post-qualifying press conference everyone was boringly polite. I'm not suggesting that knocking another rider off should be condoned - Vale was stupid to run Marquez wide, but he didn't intend to put him down - or that random insults should be traded. But the sports authorities should remember that racing is about EMOTION. Purge it of emotion and it becomes as bland as Formula 1.

Don't worry Valentino - behind closed doors, Dorna are going to be counting the overflowing pile of Euros on Sunday night...

Rossi Has 30 Laps to Haul in Jorge

Qualifying day: so what can we expect from would-be champions Rossi and Lorenzo in MotoGP, and Danny Kent in Moto3?

Lorenzo's task is clear: get on the front row to have a chance of escaping the resurgent Hondas of Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez when the flag drops tomorrow. He needs to win in order to have a chance of pegging back that seven-point gap to Rossi.

Rossi's strategy will be different. Did he bother to chase a hot qualy lap when he has to start from the back of the grid anyway? Did he just focus on race setup, and a tyre choice and management policy that will enable him to keep on picking off victims - without running them off the track this time - late into the 30-lap race? There's no way of knowing what kind of plan that wily elfin from Tavullia may be plotting. But crashing definitely wasn't in it.

The 2.489-mile Ricardo Tormo circuit is a bit like the Brands Hatch long circuit, but all folded into a shallow bowl of land amongst low hills west of Valencia city. It is said to be difficult to pass on, but that may it pose a problem to Rossi's traffic-management skills.

Danny Kent needs only two points from tomorrow, so you imagine that his greatest hope is avoid getting mullered by one of the travelling missiles that frequent the Moto3 grid. For that, it would best to focus on starting on the front row. D'oh...

Jorge or Vale - Who Has it Toughest?

So who has the best chance - Valentino or Jorge? Opinion probably favours Jorge, after that astounding pole lap. But the weather is likely to be a little cooler for the race than it has been in practice. We can't predict whether the Hondas or the Yamahas will be easier on their tyres, or how the other two major players in this four-way drama - Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa - will perform.

Lorenzo must ride only to win the race. For if he allows the Hondas to beat him, and he finishes third, Rossi has only to climb to sixth place to claim the championship. He would have to pass 18 riders - if none fall off - to do that. Over 30 laps that is by no means impossible fir a rider who handles traffic better than probably everyone on the grid.

In his media debrief after his qualifying crash, Rossi was just matter-of-fact. He looked neither irritated or stressed.

It's fifty-fifty - still wide open.