My half-term report

Talking of Rossi, he had a great start to the season, winning in Qatar and looking like he was well on his way to defending his title. But there were two things that the Italian did not quite count on - the form of Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, who leads the championship by 72 points, and the crash at Mugello that saw him suffer the worst injury of his career.

Rossi was expected to be out for six months with a double fracture of his right leg but the 'Doctor' declared himself fit after just six weeks, amazingly returning to action in Germany. He missed out on third place at the Sachsenring after an incredible tussle with Stoner but went one better in the United States, hobbling onto the podium to take third spot, crutches and all. It was a remarkable achievement.

While Rossi was sidelined, Dani Pedrosa won his first race of the season at Mugello. The Repsol Honda rider, who sits second in the standings, seems a happier person this year and has been all smiles when interviewed by the BBC.

Valentino celebrates his third place in the United States, complete with crutches

Andrea Dovizioso was not going to let Spanish team-mate Pedrosa have it all his own way, though. He has performed with consistency rather than flamboyance to lie third in the championship at the halfway point. The Italian has become a father this season and I think his little girl gives him an extra bit of motivation when he is out on the track.

Randy de Puniet has been many people's choice as the outstanding rider of the year so far. Flanked by the most glamorous of all the pit-lane girls, he has been riding his LCR Honda to the absolute limit, making his bike dance and squirm its way around the track.

The Frenchman had never missed a race start in Grand Prix racing since 1999 until suffering a similar injury to Rossi at the Sachsenring on 18 July. He sat out the race at Laguna Seca as a result but is hoping to complete another incredible recovery by competing at Brno.

Not so fortunate is Interwetten Honda rookie Hiroshi Aoyama. He is recovering well after fracturing a vertebra at Silverstone in race warm-up but it may still be some time until we see the Japanese 250 champion back on the circuit.

Things have not been going so well for the Suzuki boys. Loris Capirossi and Alvaro Bautista have both struggled this year, their best results coming at Catalunya. It is a real shame because the Suzuki gang are one of the most welcoming and hospitable teams on the circuit. No-one wants to see Capirossi having to battle down the field with the rookies.

Another man in a similar predicament is Colin Edwards on his Monster Yamaha Tech 3. At this point last year, he was battling for fifth in the standings. This year, things just do not seem to be coming together for him.

The Texan has been in MotoGP for eight years but his results seem to be slipping and his rookie team-mate, Ben Spies, is consistently beating him. Rumours are rife that this may well be his last year in MotoGP and I think everyone in the paddock would miss him. He is the life and soul of the party, always has a witty line or joke and his interview with Spies was one of my highlights of the season so far.

Talking of his team-mate, it is hard to believe Spies is in his rookie year after winning the World Superbikes crown last year. He has already been on the podium, taking third place at Silverstone, a moment that brought a lump to the throat of many a BBC viewer.

There is plenty of talk linking Spies to Rossi's seat next year in the factory Yamaha team. Spies is a quiet and shy guy but he loves to race and his single-minded focus shows a similar drive to other MotoGP greats. Personally, I think he is one of the most exciting riders to have moved up to MotoGP for a long time and it will be fascinating to see what he can do on a factory bike.

Honda Gresini man Marco Melandri has shown how tough the riders are after riding with a fractured sternum for the last four rounds following his fall at Assen. As for his big haired team-mate, Marco Simoncelli, he has been slowly improving and has started to show the form that both he, his team and fans of MotoGP were hoping for.

Another of the rookies improving with every race is Aleix Espargaro. While his little brother Pol sits second in the 125 championship, Aleix and his Pramac team are learning that life in MotoGP is not quite as easy. Team-mate Mika Kallio is also stuck in a rut, with bad luck and crashes blighting his season. Things are not looking good for the Finn, whose best race result of 2010 was his seventh-place finish in Jerez back in May.

Hector Barbara, on his bright yellow Aspar Ducati, has had some tremendous battles in qualifying but the sixth of our rookies this season is finding it frustratingly difficult to transfer that form into race pace.

Jorge Lorenzo has become MotoGP's latest superstar

Finally, let's turn to Jorge Lorenzo, a rider who has raced with maturity, skill and passion this season to become MotoGP's latest superstar.

When I interviewed him for the first time at the start of the campaign, his desire was plain to see but he was also quick to acknowledge that it would be a tough battle for the title. He seemed genuinely happy with his second place at Qatar but maybe that was because he knew the best was yet to come.

Lorenzo's win at Jerez followed by his epic jump into the lake at the circuit was something special. The celebration matched those of team-mate Rossi and tested the marshalling skills of the Spanish as they rushed to pull the leather-clad Lorenzo, who has dropped only 15 points all season, from the water.

So nine races down and nine to go. With a maximum of 225 points still up for grabs, expect plenty more twists and turns before the season finishes. Let's hope the second half it is as good as the first!