After imposing control on the first ever MotoGP night race, world champion Casey Stoner heads for the fan-packed surroundings of Jerez on top of the world.
While the lunar Qatar landscape was something of a lonely experience for the riders, the first European round will see them surrounded by some of MotoGP's most passionate fans - and a lot of them. 132,168 spectators visited the circuit on race day last year, with a staggering total of 244,461 present at some time during the weekend.
Stoner will undoubtedly be the pre-event favourite, although Jerez has thrown up mixed results for the Australian in the past. Last year, the Ducati Marlboro star finished in fifth position, his joint worst dry result of the season, and he also injured his shoulder at the circuit while testing in late November. Nevertheless, his most recent memory is far more pleasant; Stoner won a brand new BMW during a rain-soaked 40 minute 'qualifying' session at the official pre-season test.
While Stoner ultimately romped to a convincing Qatar victory, he had to overcome several highly impressive rookies along the way. To the delight of the Spanish fans, it was their reigning double 250cc world champion Jorge Lorenzo who finished second to the Australian, having qualified on pole during a brilliant MotoGP debut.
That performance means that the 20-year-old Fiat Yamaha rider heads for his first ever home round as a MotoGP rider with expectations through the roof, but two of the other three class rookies will also have their eyes on the podium.
Lorenzo's former 250cc sparring partner Andre Dovizioso took fourth in Qatar on his MotoGP debut for JiR Scot Team Honda, having overtaking Valentino Rossi in the closing stages. Double World Superbike champion James Toseland put his satellite spec YZR-M1 second on the grid - during his first grand prix appearance of any kind - and was also lining Rossi's more powerful pneumatic-valve factory Yamaha up for a late pass, before settling for sixth.
But Stoner's biggest threats could well come from two much more proven grand prix stars in the form of Dani Pedrosa and Rossi. Spanish star Pedrosa took an unexpected third position at Qatar, despite riding with an injured hand and after much-publicised technical problems for the Repsol Honda team and its new RC212V. Rossi meanwhile insists it's simply a matter of time before his decision to switch to Bridgestone tyres takes him back to the top, but with Jerez traditionally having been 'Michelin country' it will be interesting to see how things pan out for the Italian.
Former 125 and 250cc world champion Italian Loris Capirossi won the MotoGP race for Ducati at Jerez two years ago. He made his Rizla Suzuki debut in Qatar to finish behind the Tech 3 Yamaha of American Colin Edwards in eighth place. Frenchman Randy De Puniet was ninth on his LCR Honda debut with Italian Marco Melandri slowly getting to grips with the factory Ducati in eleventh.
The fastest rider in testing last month at Jerez was Repsol Honda's Nicky Hayden, but the 2006 MotoGP world champion season got off to a subdued start with only tenth in Qatar after a late switch to the 2007 bike. The determined American expects to have the latest '08 chassis this weekend, which Pedrosa used with such success at Qatar. HRC's official team will once again be running the '07 spring valve engine.
American John Hopkins will be happy to have had a three week gap between races after finishing 12th in Qatar on his painful Kawasaki debut, where he battled an injured groin, while Australian Chris Vermeulen seeks a change of fortune after front tyre problems kept him out of the points in Qatar.
In the 250cc class, Mattia Pasini joined the list of those having a night to remember in Losail with victory on his category debut. The Polaris World Aprilia rider enters the quarter litre class after a 2007 season riddled with misfortune in 125cc, with last year's race at Jerez a particular lowpoint. Pasini qualified on pole position for the race, but a mechanical failure on the sighting lap left the Italian unable to fill his grid spot and he later followed this up with a crash into the back of the team's current rider Bradley Smith.
Home representation in the class comes from the likes of Hector Barbera, Alvaro Bautista and Alex Debon, who all battled for victory at various stages in Losail with factory Aprilia machinery. All three will be favoured for podium success at this latest round, although the party could be spoiled by the Red Bull KTM duo of Mika Kallio and Hiroshi Aoyama, the fastest riders in preseason testing at the Southern Spanish track.
The wide-open 125cc class also has a local hero for the Spanish fans to cheer on, with Bancaja Aspar rider Sergio Gadea establishing himself as a title contender with a 'guts and glory' performance in round one. A second Grand Prix victory from his 70th race in the lower cylinder class came against the odds for Gadea, who was riding with a dislocated collarbone that had him questioning his participation.
Behind him in Qatar, the until-now inconsistent Joan Olive is experiencing his best start to a season onboard the Belson Derbi machine, accompanying fellow countryman and 2007 Rookie of the Year Pol Espargaro. He occupied the second podium spot at Losail, with Grizzly Gas Kiefer racing's Stefan Bradl filling the rostrum.
The likes of Mike di Meglio and Scott Redding -the youngest ever top five finisher in a Grand Prix race- should also have some say in proceedings, as will reigning World Champion and winner of last year's race, Gabor Talmacsi.
Affected by the 'Pasini curse' in his first race for the Polaris World team which underwent much misfortune with the Italian in 125 last year, British talent Bradley Smith will be on a mission at a track in which he was extremely quick in preseason.
The 17 year-old dominated practice sessions in Qatar, but a mechanical problem left him off the pace after two laps in the race itself. Smith has the talent to match his determination, and will be one to watch as the weekend unfolds.
