Poggiali signs, Elias waits on 250 ride.

The two 18-year-old riders battling it out for the MotoGP 125cc championship are already thinking about next year, with one definitely remaining in the class and the other apparently 250cc bound.

Spaniard Tony Elias, who leads the championship by eight points from Manuel Poggiali, will switch to the GP250 class next year. At the moment, he's the hottest property in Spain - ahead of the likes of struggling senior riders Alex Criville, Carlos Checa and Emilio Alzamora - and is considering offers from Honda and Aprilia.

Elias is the son of a former Spanish motocross champion - although his team apparently claimed junior was 'useless' when he tried to follow in his father's footsteps - and has really caught the imagination of the Spanish public with his hard riding style.

Great rival Poggiali, from San Marino, will stay with Gilera in the 125cc class for at least next year, apparently regardless of whether he lands the 2001 crown. Although he has signed a two-year contract, the deal contains a clause that would allow him to switch to the 250 class with a different team in 2003.

Poggiali has also revealed that he has had an offer to join the 250cc class next year with a new team.