MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi can cover himself in more glory with a good performance in the final race of the season in Valencia on Sunday.

The Italian has won 11 races on his way to the title and has now set his sights on matching Australian Mick Doohan's record of 12 victories in a season.

The 23-year-old is already the youngest rider to a win 50 grands prix and can set two more records this weekend.

With 335 points going into the final race he is very much within sight of Doohan's best mark of 340 points in a season.

And a place in the top three would enable him to beat Wayne Rainey's and Doohan's record of 14 podium finishes.

Brazilian Alex Barros pushed the Italian all the way at Phillip Island last week and is likely to provide the biggest challenge again.

Barros, who finished second in Valencia last term, has been in outstanding form since switching to the Honda four-stroke.

Down to the wire

Yamaha's Max Biaggi will also be riding hard for the runners-up spot in the championship - he is just one point ahead of Honda's Tohru Ukawa.

"I've simply got to do better than Ukawa," Biaggi said. "It's imperative for me to finish second - for Yamaha and for myself."

A crowd of around 220,000 is expected for what could be a final bow for the two-stroke 500cc machines.

The four-stroke bikes have been utterly dominant since being introduced at the start of the season and that should see them get the top class to themselves next term.

The 250cc title has also been decided, Marco Melandri holding off Fonsi Nieto to take the honours in Australia last week.

But in the 125cc championship, Arnaud Vincent is hoping to become the first Frenchman to win the title.

He has an eight-point lead over San Marino's defending world champion Manuel Poggiali.