With two events remaining in the 2010 season, the tentative 2011 MotoGP grid only adds up to 17 riders, with one or two more expected to come out of the woodwork as Series Organizer Dorna keeps trying to rob the World Superbike grid with promises of competitiveness for stock-based engines and – maybe – a little financial help.

So here is the combination of facts, likelihoods, rumours and wishes for 2011.

Factory Yamaha
World Champion for 2010 and favourite for next year Jorge Lorenzo, and American phenom Ben Spies, after only one year of exposure to MotoGP bikes, tracks and political complexities.

Factory Ducati
The big question mark regarding how the bike will perform under his development guidance, Valentino Rossi, and hard-working and underestimated Nicky Hayden, no real menace for Rossi on the team, but great at development.

Factory Honda
Unless a major sponsor can be found to run Casey Stoner as a stand-alone factory effort, it will probably be a three-rider Repsol Honda team consisting of Spaniard Dani Pedrosa, Italian Andrea Dovizioso and Aussie Casey Stoner. One rider, the Spanish one, will get preferential treatment on any three rider Spanish team such as Repsol Honda. Of the three, only Stoner has the stones (Ah, bad pun!) to win a world championship.

Factory Suzuki
Suzuki will run a single bike in 2011 with former 125 World Champion and 250 runner-up Alvaro Bautista as rider. Nice of them to use MotoGP to work on engine and technology development. They do not spend nearly enough to win, choosing to concentrate on competitive World Superbike and National Superbike (US, UK, France, Japan, Australia, Germany) championships.

Satellite Yamaha Team
Tech3: Master developer Colin Edwards and upcoming Cal Crutchlow, in training for the big team if needed.

Satellite Honda Teams
Team Gresini - Marco Simoncelli and 2009 250 World Champion Hiroshi Aoyama
Team LCR - 2010 World Moto2 Champion Toni Elias

Satellite Ducati Teams
Pramac - Randy de Puniet and ex-Suzuki MotoGP veteran Loris Capirossi
Aspar Ducati - Hector Barberá
Cardion AB Racing Ducati - A new team that will run young Czech Republic Moto2 rider Carol Abraham

BQR-Inmotec
A GP125 and Moto2 team looking for a sponsor to run the Inmotec 800, a four-cylinder to be ridden by Spaniard Ivan Silva.