"German Grand Prix - Preview."

Round ten of the 2008 MotoGP World Championship, the Grand Prix of Germany, takes place at Sachsenring this weekend.

MotoGP world champion, Casey Stoner rages at Sachsenring this weekend chasing his third consecutive victory of the 2008 season.

The 22-year-old, Australia is back to his best, but needs victory on Sunday in the tenth round of the MotoGP World Championship - and preferably in Laguna Seca one week later - to put real pressure on the title leaders Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedrosa before the summer recess.

Stoner and his Ducati have proven to be an unbeatable combination in the last two races and trails Pedrosa, championship leader by 29 points in ecuador of the season. If he continues in the same style in the next two weeks the gap on second place Pedrosa and Rossi will be significantly reduced.

Stoner does not have a great record in 2281 miles tight twisty Sachsenring circuit with a second place in 2003 his best 125cc race result. Last year Stoner, like most pilots Bridgestone tyres suffered chronic problems of resistance and was left to salvage fifth, while Pedrosa break a huge 13 second victory.

Also Pedrosa won the 250cc German Grand Prix in 2004 and 2005, but Rossi - despite crashing out of last year's race - has claimed some of his most memorable victories in the 'twist and go' circuit.

Rossi, who trails Pedrosa by four points in the championship, won the 250cc race in 1999 and has gained three wins in first class both Honda and Yamaha machinery.

Jorge Lorenzo Rossi won the race Fiat Yamaha team-mate, has rebuilt its confidence as it is ruled out of Barcelona by taking sixth place in Britain and Holland.

The Spanish retains fourth in the championship but like Stoner, the double 250cc world champion has never won at the Sachsenring. Fifth placed Colin Edwards arrives in Germany full of confidence after a last ditch third place in Holland ride the Tech 3 Yamaha.

Italian Andrea Dovizioso has made a bright start to his MotoGP career and is sixth in the championship riding JIR the Scot Honda team and its best results in the fourth Sachsenring are places in the 125 cc and 250 classes.

2006 world champion Nicky Hayden was robbed of a podium finish when he ran out of fuel at the finish line in Holland and returned to action in Germany, where he had podium finishes in 2005 and last year.

After disappointments in two circuits he knows well, James Toseland might welcome a clean start of the unknown Sachsenring. The 27-year-old crashed at Donington and fought with the launch in Assen to eventually finish in ninth place, but still holds the eighth place in the championship, just ten points behind Hayden.

American John Hopkins will miss this race and next week in the United States after an operation in which broke his ankle in a high-speed rail's fall Kawasaki during his studies in Holland. By contrast, Italian Loris Capirossi will return to action for Rizla Suzuki after losing his second race of the season because of an injury to his arm from Assen.

Finn Mika Kallio KTM pilot saw his lead in the 250cc World Championship reduced to a single point in Holland for the manner in which Italian Marco Simoncelli has finished on the podium in the last five races including two victories in the Gilera.

Kallio won the 125cc race three years ago but watch out for his team-mate Hiroshi Aoyama won last year and Yuki Takahashi was victorious on Honda in 2006.

One thing the 125 runners who want it will not be any rain on Sunday. The rain fell race in Holland just five laps and was won by world champion who Gabor Talmacsi won the race in Germany last year.

Simone Corsi closed to within 16 points of leader Mike Di Meglio French championship after finishing third.