How exciting will MotoGP 2012 be?

F1 just outdid itself last year. I found pretty much every race exciting and this year I think it might actually get even better, especially as Sky have poured in millions of buckaroos for all the "extras" along with the coverage.

Last year, MotoGP highlights were few and far between. I found the racing fairly mundane. The most exciting thing would have been a Rossi come back which never materialised.

The best race was probably in Australia which ended up with a heavy shower on 1 part of the track with 3 laps to go. Some riders pushed on to the end and some switched bikes to the wet track setup. This decision proved critical, and was very difficult as riding a normal bike in wet conditions can cost you up to 25seconds per lap, but only 1/2 the track was wet and there was only 3 laps to go. Still, a rare highlight (Simoncelli took 2nd, the best he attained in MotoGP).

This year they're ditching the 800cc bikes for 1000cc. The riders pretty much had to stay on the racing line with the 800s whereas the 1000 gives enough power to alter lines - it gives the riders enough grunt to give them options.

This may greatly improve how exciting the racing is, with a bit of luck we won't be praying for rain to liven things up.

MotoGP has also taken a leaf out of F1s book and made some tyre changes. This year the 2012 Bridgestone slicks will warm up much more quickly, but also degrade much faster. This should allow for better racing, more overtakes, but also the tyres may drop off late into the race. With but a few exceptions, last years tyres could perform almost optimally throughout the entire race. A lot of excitement in the F1 is down to tyre strategy.

And finally, the BBC are showing every race this year in HD.

I do love the MotoGP but I am a bit of a sport-aholic. I just hope this years changes help bring some of the neutrals and non-bikers in to the fold.

Lets also hope Ducati have fixed that damn bike so it's competitive in at least some of the races. Rossi's smile deserves a few podiums this year.

I'm also attending my first race this year in Germany! Can't wait!

[sniff]

You can find out tonight. Hit the red button on BBC1 between 7.30 and 9pm and you get a full preview of the season with Stavros and Matt Roberts.

Regards last season. I think it was crap. Moto2 and the 125's were so mch better.