MotoGP
Following a crushing performance by Casey Stoner and his Ducati GP9 in Qatar, the big party shifts to Montegi for the second event of this 17-race season.

Ducati and Stoner credit their victory to the development of a new frame design for the GP9 in which the engine becomes the main bearing component, with carbon fiber parts connecting it to the front suspension, the seat and the tail. This type of construction reduces total weight and allows an easier variation in the resistance of each sub-assembly, especially the front suspension mounts, since engineers are able to tweak the direction and thickness of the fiber layers.

Ducati and Stoner and the ultra quick carbon fibre festival, the GP9.

What's more, the Ducati benefits from what is arguably the most powerful MotoGP engine -- a clear advantage in terms of accelerations and top speed on long straightaways. Granted, it also means violent corner exits and a more challenging ride.

Valentino Rossi always preferred torquey engines that are easier to push to the limit over the entire race. This approach led Yamaha to design unique timing systems that resulted in championships for Rossi. The new mills also work extremely well on the R1 used by Ben Spies in the 2009 World Superbike Championship. Speaking of Spies, he's currently in second place after three races, trailing only Ducati's Nori Haga.

In addition to the two leaders, we'll keep track of Nicki Hayden on the second factory Ducati. His performance in Qatar was jeopardized by a fall during the warm-up on Sunday morning. As for Jorge Lorenzo, number two at Yamaha, he had a hard time swallowing the fact that his teammate easily finished ahead of him during the first race.

By the way, seven of the 13 corners at Montegi require either first or second gear, meaning traction control prevails over engine characteristics and wily riders like Rossi can find new lines to overtake their rivals.

Ben Spies on the 2009 Yamaha YZF-R1, and its new generation and effective multi-plane crankshaft.