Eurosport.yahoo.com takes a look at the major ins and outs of the the closed season of the 250cc world championship.

Aprilia

With class dominator Jorge Lorenzo having graduated to Moto GP to take on the big boys, the factory Aprilia team has opted for a blend of youth and experience for 2008.

The experience comes in the shape of Alex Debon, the 31-year-old Spaniard who has spent the last three years as the Italian manufacturer's official test rider and is rewarded for his efforts with a ride that should see him fight for his first win.

The youth comes from Aleix Espargaro, the older brother of 125cc sensation Pol, and the team has a change of name too as sponsors Fortuna bow out and are replaced by Lotus.

Espargaro moves over from the Spanish-based Blusens team, and sees his ride on a factory-kitted machine taken by Irishman Eugene Laverty, who has a chance to fight for regular top-tens now after struggling this season on an under-powered LCR Honda. Spanish rookie Russell Gomez will be his team-mate.

The Aspar team retain this year's standout rookie Alvaro Bautista , who won twice, and pair him with another Spaniard Hector Faubel, who steps up from 125s after only missing out on the title this year at the Valencia finale.

Hector Barbera - a man who cemented his reputation as the wildest rider in the championship this year - remains with the Toth team and will have a factory machine at his disposal again, unlike Hungarian Imre Toth, who also remains with his father's team.

Former 125cc world champion Tom Luthi stays with Daniel Epp's team and again has backing from Caffe Latte.

The team is expanding to two riders for the first time in it's 250cc history and has recruited Czech Lukas Pesek to add to the strength following his pair of 125cc wins this year. He though, will run in a different livery, that of Auto Kelly-CP.

2008 will see a welcome return to a former world champion as Manuel Poggiali, who won his crown back in 2003 but did not race at all this year, joins Campetella Racing, a squad looking to re-discover the Casey Stoner glory days of 2005 after a couple of lean years.

Fabrizio Lai stays with team for a second year and is looking to build on his rookie season, which netted him six top-ten finishes.

Mattia Pasini, the man widely recognised as the quickest rider in 125s this year, stays with Polaris World but moves up a class and has a factory machine, which ought to mean he is a top-ten runner from the get-go.

The same cannot be said though for Karel Abraham, who is having a second year with the Cardion AB team and for Alex Baldolini, who moves to the Matteoni squad, replacing Federico Sandi, after the Kiefer team he raced for this year, elected to drop back into 125s.

KTM

The works team remains unchanged and that, in many peoples eyes, make KTM's line-up of Hiroshi Aoyama and Mika Kallio - who managed four wins between them this season - the favourites for the 2008 title.

There will be a third of the Austrian machines on the grid though, with the Repsol team having switched allegiances from Honda and having retained the services of promising Spaniard Julian Simon , for whom the season will be a big one.

Gilera

No changes at the smaller of the two Italian manufacturers competing as Valentino Rossi wannabe Marco Simoncelli and veteran Roberto Locatelli stay on.

The team should be helped by the latter being fully recovered from the Spanish GP qualifying crash that almost required him to have his left foot removed.

Honda

Only stalwarts Scot Racing remain of the front-line Honda teams and keep Japanese rider Yuki Takahashi - a two-time race-winner - for a third year.

The PTT squad, backed by bucketloads of Thai money, keep Rattapak Wiliarot, who impressed many in his rookie season, especially at the wet races.

Yamaha

Surprisingly a Yamaha will run full-time next year, making it the first time such a project has been undertaken since 2003. Doni Tata Pradita rides for the Pertamina Indonesia team, proving the spread of motorcycling worldwide.

Eurosport