By Matt Roberts BBC Sport at Donington

Dovizioso won the first MotoGP race of his career at Donington

Andrea Dovizioso's victory was the latest - and potentially final - tale of the unexpected to be played out at Donington Park, as 23 years of motorcycle Grand Prix drama at the Leicestershire circuit came to a fitting close on Sunday.

During a nostalgic weekend, Kevin Schwantz was on hand to regale us with the inside story of his final career victory here in 1994, when he had to hold the throttle open down the straights with his left hand - despite a dislocated wrist - just to shake some feeling back into his fractured right hand.

Paddock wags also reminisced about Wayne Gardner's only victory of his final season in 1992, which came shortly after announcing his retirement, and Simon Crafar's shock defeat of Mick Doohan in 1998.

Crafar's pole position, fastest lap and race win sweep was astounding not only because it was achieved on Dunlop tyres, who had not won for three years in an era dominated by Michelin, but also because it was Yamaha's first in 23 races.

Even fresher in the memory lies Ralf Waldmann's 250cc victory in torrential conditions in 2000, when he made up over a minute in the final five laps to beat Olivier Jacque by 0.3 seconds.

Those memories were stirred by the fact that Waldmann, now 43, actually rode on Sunday in place of the injured Russian rider Vladimir Leonov.

That same season, Valentino Rossi took the first of his 101 premier-class victories so far following an unforgettable battle with our own Jeremy McWilliams and the Italian somehow bettered that the following year to beat pole man Max Biaggi with a stunning ride from eleventh on the grid.

Most recently, 15-year-old Scott Redding's debut victory last year will live long in the memory of any British fan and his podium on Sunday, which he rated as an even bigger achievement under the circumstances, will be equally cherished.

Silverstone will see track changes for next year's MotoGP race

It is a lot for Silverstone to live up to next year but the Northamptonshire circuit also has a proud Grand Prix history and big plans for the future, officially presented to MotoGP movers and shakers on Tuesday.

Silverstone has pledged to offer fans a "better experience at affordable prices" for the 2010 event, with £7m worth of modifications currently underway.

As well as updating the viewing facilities, with work due to commence this November, changes are also planned for the track, which will become one of the fastest on the MotoGP calendar.

The riders will now turn right at Abbey, joining the new section of track, which includes the Arena complex, and then links up with the National Straight before re-joining the Grand Prix circuit at Brooklands. The other significant track change is the removal of the chicane at Woodcote.

Silverstone will also welcome something of a new-look MotoGP, with the likelihood of privateer teams set to run 1000cc engines in prototype chassis alongside the thoroughbred prototype 800s in 2010.

The proposal, by rights holders Dorna, is designed to offer a lower cost alternative to teams, with the grid having been reduced to a worryingly low 17 riders following the withdrawal of Sete Gibernau's satellite Ducati outfit before the German Grand Prix last week.

The 1000cc Moto1 machines would be scaled-up versions of the 600cc Moto2 bikes that will replace the 250cc class next year, although manufacturers are reported to have responded to the controversial idea by offering their 800cc engines for use by private teams within a prototype chassis.

One privateer outfit that will be running a full MotoGP prototype next year is Team Aspar, who confirmed this weekend that they will lease a single Ducati Desmosedici GP10.

Alvaro Bautista has been offered the ride and has been given until Wednesday to make a decision, with Toni Elias heading up the list of viable alternatives.

It was a miserable weekend for the current Ducati crop, with factory pair Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden taking a huge gamble by running wet tyres when the rest of the grid was on slicks.

Both riders went against the advice of their team and whilst Hayden's boldness was understandable given that he had little to lose from the back of the grid, for Stoner to take the same risk was bemusing, regardless of his weak physical condition.

Stoner turned gambler on Sunday staring at the Leicestershire skies

"Every single lap we were out there it threatened to pour down and we were very close to having the perfect situation," reflected Stoner.

"I still think it was a risk worth taking because it could have worked out fantastically but obviously we're disappointed it didn't."

Team boss Livio Suppo was in less phlegmatic mood. "We could have been heroes or idiots today… we are idiots," he told us on our red button show on Sunday. "We took a big gamble today and it turned out to be a big mistake, there is no escaping that."

Satellite rider Mika Kallio was one of four riders who switched to full wets in the final third of the race but that also proved to be a mistake as he lost three positions to finish 10th.

Having missed Laguna Seca due to his finger injury and riding through the pain barrier at Sachsenring and Donington, Kallio will undergo surgery on Tuesday.

The 800cc Desmosedici has been something of a poisoned chalice for anybody other than Stoner so far but Jorge Martinez "Aspar" is more than ready for the challenge, having achieved everything possible in the smaller classes.

The 125cc world champion's team followed up their 200th podium at Assen last month with their 100th win at Donington - it was just a shame for the British fans that the honour went to Julian Simon and not his team-mate Bradley Smith.

Smith has the opportunity to return to winning ways before the next round at Brno when he takes on Jenson Button in the London Triathlon next month.

Smith offered to take on Button in the world's largest triathlon when the two met during the Formula 1 British GP at Silverstone, with Lewis Hamilton having famously swerved Button's challenge last year.

"I told him straight away that 'Lewis (Hamilton) won't race you but I will'," explained Smith.

"I've made sure I'm in the same wave start time as Jenson so we really get to battle head to head. Jenson has been really good about it and we've been swapping the odd text in the build-up to the race.

"Hopefully at the end of this season we will both win our respective championships, which is fantastic for British motorsport. But there's only going to be one winner in the triathlon and I'm planning on making sure that it's me!"

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