The Macau Grand Prix - now in its 55th year - is a strange event. On the one hand, it’s been going so long, it has to be considered a part of the motorsport furniture. But on the other, no bugger’s knows anything about it. At least, I knew precious little until the WTCC joined the bill three years ago, and it was only looking at the rather unpleasant website - and, yes, Wikipedia - today that I learned much more.

What I did know is that arguably the headline event is the Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix, which has been contested - and won - by some of Formula 1’s most evocative names: Senna and Schumacher to name but two. After British winners for the last two years - Mike Conway and Oliver Jarvis (though he was racing in Japanese Formula 3) - this year it was Japanese driver Keisuke Kunimoto taking victory. And as a result, apparently, the FIA Intercontinental Cup, which I’m sure is a lovely thing.

What I didn’t realise, is that the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix also forms part of the event - and that really is dominated by Brits. 1997 was the last time another country won it, and Michael Rutter alone was victorious six times between 1998 and 2005. He finished second this year, behind winner Stuart Easton, and ahead of third place John McGuinness - another Brit.

I also didn’t know that the World Touring Car Championship race was previously known as - and still is known as, for that matter - the Guia Race of Macau. It was another good one for Brits, with Andy Priaulx on the podium twice, and Rob Huff taking the second race win.

So there you go: Brits rule in Macau. But not literally: it wasn’t part of the Empire. It was Portugese at one point though.

As already discussed, there are going to be plenty of new Brits in the Superbike World Championship next season. Some of them made an early appearance in Portugal last weekend, for the final round of 2008.

Troy Bayliss bowed out of the championship in the best possible fashion with a double win, but those new Brits acquitted themselves very well too. Most impressive was Leon Haslam’s 3rd place in race 2, having fallen back to 7th in race 1. Supersport World Championship runner up Johnny Rea took 4th in race 1 and 15th in race 2; Cal Crutchlow retired from the race 1, but managed 9th in race 1.

So, in short, we can be hopeful that the Brits will be fighting at the front in 2009.

There’s a lot of speculation at this time of year. You don’t need me to tell you that. But this week we’ve seen a good few confirmations.

I’m oddly preoccupied by British Superbikes at the moment. Next season is starting to take shape now, with HM Plant Honda announcing Australians Josh Brookes and Glen Richards as their riders. Brookes - who competed in World Supersport this year - was already strongly rumoured after a surprise appearance for the team at the final British Supersport round at Brands Hatch recently. Richards, meanwhile, took this year’s British Supersport championship on a Triumph.

There are still more question marks than confirmed riders in BSB for 2009 though, as neatly illustrated on the BSB website.

Elsewhere, Sete Gibernau’s return to MotoGP has been confirmed in Valencia, ahead of the final round of the year. Following successful tests for the factory squad, his return comes in the form of a single entry satellite Ducati team - Grupo Francisco Hernando ONDE 2000. A snappy team name, then. Spanish property developer Francisco Hernando is the cash money behind the team, which will be run by brothers Gelete and Pablo Nieto - a fine motorcycling family.

Valentino Rossi would be the best thing that ever happened to the World Rally Championship, if he made the switch - which he won’t. He has confirmed his third WRC outing though: throwing a Ford Focus WRC around Wales Rally GB. I desperately want him to beat Sebastien Loeb.

The final round of the British Superbikes at Brands Hatch at the weekend was a fitting end to a very good season. Shane Byrne in particular has provided excellent value for spectators all year, and the final race, when he came through to take the lead from Leon Haslam on the final lap, was no different.

It was an unreasonably nice day for October - or any time of the year, to be fair - so I have only myself to blame for not getting any decent photos. Too bright? Too hazy? I don’t know, but the usually reliable Druids gave me nothing. At least I was luckier with being close to incidents - one thing Druids didn’t fail to provide.

Looking to next season, news has started to filter through since the weekend - and it’s looking more different than I’d imagined.

As had been rumoured at the weekend, Rizla is parting company with Crescent Suzuki - though the team is retaining the full support of Suzuki GB, so they should remain competitive.

There are even more changes at GSE Racing, the team that’s run as Airwaves Ducati for the past few years. They’re retaining Leon Camier, who will be joined by James Ellison, but they’ll be running the Yamaha YZF-R1, and sponsors have yet to be announced.

I’d not really considered sponsors, and it is they who have the greatest impact on what the grid looks like, in terms of livery. I for one will miss the bright blue of Rizla.

I’m not sure what British Superbikes is going to be like next year. This season has been very strong, but that’s reflected in three of the current top four riders going to the Superbike World Championship for 2009. And the other’s off to the Supersport World Championship.

They’re all British riders too, which is bloody encouraging. Shane Byrne is going to Sterilgada Ducati, Leon Haslam to Stiggy Honda, and Tom Sykes to Yamaha Motor Italia. Cal Crutchlow is heading for Yamaha Supersport.

But it’s two of last year’s British Superbike stars, currently in World Supersport, who will be the ones to watch in World Superbikes next season. Both are making the step up with their current teams - Jonathan Rea with Hannspree Ten Kate Honda, Tommy Hill with Hannspree Honda Althea.

Some of this space for new blood in World Superbikes comes from new manufacturers, in the form of BMW - with Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus - and Aprilia - with Max Biaggi. It’s going to be fascinating to see how they do.

Back to British Superbikes, who’s left? There’s no word yet on Leon Camier, currently fifth in the standings. My guess would be that he’ll be keen to stay in Britain, and take advantage of his experience against what could turn out to be a reasonably inexperienced field.

Then there’s Michael Rutter, who’s a bit older than most but, at sixth in the standings, has proven to be extremely capable of delivering results. Could he and other independents like him end up on tasty factory bikes? Most likely for the factory teams, I guess, is a mix of current independents, promotions from British Supersport, and a foreign import or two.

One face we will be seeing in British Superbikes is that of MotoGP rider Sylvain Guintoli, who impressed in 2007 on the Tech 3 Yamaha, and has had the odd moment on the Alice Ducati this season. He’ll be on the Rizla Suzuki, presumably alongside Atsushi Watanabe who, in his second season, will probably want to start doing something.

It’s a barren weekend: there’s no live motorsport on Freeview.

MotoGP is on its summer break, back next week in the Czech Republic; the WRC is in Germany next weekend; it’s a couple of weeks before Formula 1 makes its debut in Valencia; and the British Touring Cars are at Knockhill next weekend. So next weekend is busy, and I’m really looking forward to the first Formula 1 race around the streets of Valencia. But that doesn’t help me this weekend, does it? Honestly, it’s just inconsiderate.

There’s only the British Superbikes at Knockhill to look forward to this weekend, for you Eurosport types. Tom Sykes will doubtless be brimming with confidence, after his double race win at the last British Superbike meeting, and his wild card performance in the World Superbikes at Brands Hatch last week, including a 7th place in race 2.

It’s likely to be a subdued Knockhill paddock though, after the tragic death of Craig Jones following a crash in the World Supersport race at Brands Hatch last week. RIP.

I didn’t appreciate how appropriate a description ‘the little circuit with the big view’ is for Mallory Park until I saw the British Superbikes there yesterday.

With lap times of about a minute, it’s really very short. You can walk around the entire perimeter of the track, and there are some fantastic viewing points - particularly the back of the hairpin, where you can also see the new chicane.

The highlight of the day was Michael Rutter’s astonishing victory in the second Superbike race. It had been raining for the Supersport race, so the track was wet, but with blue skies it was clearly going to dry out. Every combination of slick, intermediate and wet front and rear tyres was represented on the grid, so it was a genuinely fascinating race.

Rutter is famously good in the wet, but the way he handled the early wet conditions on slick tyres was just brilliant. Even Shane Byrne - who was on predictably excellent form - couldn’t make up ground to him. The reaction to Rutter’s victory from the crowd around me was tremendous; he returned the compliment by throwing his boot to us - sadly a little way to my right.

Close behind in terms of highlights was an incident in the first British 125GP race - delayed from Donnington - where several riders just sort of slowly fell on top of each other at the hairpin on the first lap.

MotoGP chieftains Dorna have taken away Eurosport’s coverage of the series from next season. I’ve not had Eurosport for a while, so I’m not really fussed, but there’s a potential benefit to be had.

And that’s this: Eurosport pitlane reporter - and general motorcycle grand prix legend - Randy Mamola. He’ll be without a broadcasting home next year, and that’s a bad thing, because he’s chuffing excellent. The good thing would be for the BBC to hire him. They probably won’t.

Dorna’s reason for doing away with Eurosport’s coverage is interesting:

“The decision is part of Dorna’s new strategy of working with national network broadcasters around Europe, always focusing first and foremost on free-to-air coverage to bring MotoGP to wider audiences.”

That is undoubtedly the right thing to do. I just wish the Superbike World Championship would follow their lead, and get something - anything! - on British free-to-air TV. I reckon it’s the only major motorsport championship with nothing at all on Freeview, and frankly it’s not good enough.

It’s quite tragic how overjoyed I was when Jack Burnicle and James Whittam were introduced as the commentators on Channel 4’s British Superbike Championship highlights. Though Ben Edwards is officially the best commentator in the world ever (or something), for sheer excitement and enthusiasm there’s not a pairing to match Burnicle and Whittam.

James Cracknell has been retained as presenter, and though I was initially dubious of him last year, I think he’s really grown into the role. He talked to John Reynolds early in the programme, which worried me that JR might be commentating. A former champion and very informed he may be, but he’s bloody dull as a commentator.

The racing was predictably excellent. But one aspect of the crash that caused the second race to be red flagged went without comment, at least on the Channel 4 highlights. I assume it was dissected more on the live Eurosport commentary, but how could it not be pointed out that Tom Sykes’s Suzuki smacked Karl Harris full on in the face? It literally flew at him, hit him in the head, and knocked him off his bike.

Thankfully Harris is fine, but it really was one of the most spectacular incidents I’ve seen in a long time. Even more impressive than Leon Camier’s crash on the Mountain at Cadwell Park last year, where you could actually see his leg breaking if you watched it in slow motion. Which I did.

Not long after the crash, Camier - crutches and all - was on the same very cheap, very rubbish flight as me, to Valencia for the final round of the MotoGP. He wasn’t exactly chuffed about the complete lack of leg room. He was on my flight back as well. I nearly congratulated him on a quite excellent crash, but the idea of just going up and bothering someone ‘famous’ for no reason fills me with horror. Plus I’d confused him with Cal Crutchlow, so it’s just as well I didn’t say something and look like a complete prick.

I write a dissertation on the new British Superbikes season. The first round at Brands Hatch was postponed due to snow. Which, incidentally, was lovely, wasn’t it? Terribly exciting. Shame about the racing, mind.

I moaned about the disadvantage former Champ Car teams are at in the IndyCar Series. One of them won at the first road race of the year at the weekend. Tony Kanaan put it well:

“In the past five years we’ve done about 14 road courses and they did that many just last season, so we felt the same here as they did on the oval.”

Yeah, I hadn’t thought about that. It’s good though, isn’t it? Makes the rest of the season that much more interesting.

While I’m here, I’ll just point out that five are showing the IndyCar Series. Helpfully, the first race of the season was covered in the early hours of Monday morning. I’m so good at this.

With luck Five will also be able to show the final ever Champ Car race, which takes place at Long Beach this weekend. It should be excellent.