Scott Jones, Ducati Corse

The longer I get to work in the MotoGP paddock, the more it strikes me how many talented people contribute to the show by working behind the curtain while a small percentage of personalities get most of the media attention. Rhys Edwards, whom you may recognize from his frequent position in Casey Stoner’s seat during shots of the Respol garage, is one of many people I’ve met who manage to perform roles of great responsibility while remaining friendly, approachable and warm individuals. When I learned something about his background in Formula One, I assumed he would have an interesting story to tell about his career and how he arrived at HRC, and he was generous enough to let me ask him some questions about his experience during the final GP weekend at Estoril.

Scott Jones: Rhys, you’re Communications and Marketing Manager at Honda Racing Corporation. Many of our readers may not know exactly what that means, so could you give a brief description of your role at HRC?

He's #1. And he showed just why on Sunday

No quarter given. Nor asked for. That's Moto2

Tech 3 boys Crutchlow and Dovizioso have been doing this every race so far this year

The fourth alien? Tests for extraterrestrial DNA are inconclusive, but the signs are strong

Ben Spies' crew found the Texan's mojo again. It was right where they left it

One fast Australian

It was as close as this all race between Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo

Fire in the hole

Uncle Joe surveys his domain: the Sherry Circuit

Fastest man of Saturday? Dani Pedrosa. And here's why.

Pictures speak louder than words

Spanish skies in a nutshell: from slate grey to clear blue

New to MotoGP in 2012: Cylon Raiders

In the wet, the old Valentino Rossi turned up. And there was much rejoicing

When I entered the media center at Losail a few weeks ago, I happened to be thinking about how many people contribute to our enjoyment of MotoGP. From the journalists who write the background stories and race reports, to photographers who show us things we can't see on video, to the large number of people who produce the TV feed, each has his or her role in bringing us closer to the racing and increasing our enjoyment of what we see. 

Years ago I was an avid bicycle racer, very much inspired by watching Greg Lemond take on the world in a sport dominated by Europeans. The TV broadcasts featured the commentary of a man named Phil Liggett, who still works as one of the main voices of cycling broadcasts in English. Liggett's enthusiasm and passion for cycling are inseparable from my experience of watching those 1980s Tours de France (and every one since, in fact), and he has stuck in my mind as someone who will be, for many, as big a part of the events he described as the events themselves.

One of the great pleasures in watching Casey Stoner ride a MotoGP machine is the controlled way in which he manages to slide the bike through the corners. In an era when the spectacular slides once so beloved by fans have been tamed by electronic intervention, Stoner has managed to convince his engineers to limit the electronics sufficiently to give him enough control to slide the bike to help get it turned. 

His ability has fascinated both fans and journalists around the world, and many have tried to get him to explain how he does it, but Stoner himself has always found it very hard to say exactly what he is doing. At Qatar, a group of journalists - including MotoMatters.com - pressed the Repsol Honda rider again to explain exactly where and when he chooses to slide the rear, and what benefits it provides. Though he protested it was hard - "It's really difficult to explain, so many people have asked me," he said - he went on to talk at length about what he does and why.

How to wheelie a Moto3 bike: stand up, apply throttle, pull back, lift off!

It would be a tough weekend at Qatar for Ben Spies

It wasn't that much better for Alvaro Bautista

Lorenzo, Pedrosa and Stoner at the start of the race. The best thing about Qatar was that they got these close again at the end of the race too

Moon over Marquez

Scott Redding did not reap the rewards of an outstanding preseason at Qatar

Racing at the speed of light

Fastest Italian on the day, yet only one Italian journalist turned up to his debrief

Bring the bling: the Ioda CRT bike has slick chrome wheels, and is pretty damn fast for a slow bike

Welcome to 2012. Gentlemen, start your engines.

The traditional start to the MotoGP season. The group photo photographer scrum

Lorenzo lost his number 1 plate last year, and now he wants it back.

The class of 2012. The biggest it's been for a while.

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One of my most abiding motorcycle racing memories comes from my first trip to Indianapolis for the 2009 MotoGP race. On the Saturday night, I joined the majority of the paddock in making the pilgrimage to the Indiana State Fairground for the Indy Mile flat track races, the first time I had ever visited a flat track race. In addition to the overwhelming visceral experience of having a couple of dozen thundering twins roar by at over a hundred miles an hour, rear wheel sideways and looking for grip, came something very special indeed. Kenny Roberts Senior, three-times world champion took his Yamaha TZ750-powered flat tracker, one of the most legendary motorcycles ever to grace a racetrack - though Roberts would probably reject the verb "grace" - out for a spin, 34 years after it made its debut at the State Fairground.

Ducati, in partnership with Italian telecommunications company TIM, presented their 2012 bike today in an online launch for a reported audience of 96,000 fans and media around the world. Much excitement had surrounded the launch of the new livery, the color scheme feature a lot more white than in previous years. A hint to that effect had been seen in the new team gear sported by Ducati staff at the Sepang tests, which also had a lot more white than last year's all-red clothing.