2008

Mika Kallio and Niccolo Canepa confirmed at Ducati

Mika Kallio and Niccolo Canepa confirmed at Ducati

Mika Kallio and Niccolo Canepa have finally been officially confirmed in Ducati’s satellite MotoGP squad for 2009. Finn Kallio will step up from the KTM 250GP squad having won 12 races in the smaller...

Sepang MotoGP Reaction: James Toseland bemoans early Sepang exit

Sepang MotoGP Reaction: James Toseland bemoans early Sepang exit

British rider James Toseland had a disappointing Sepang GP in Malaysia this afternoon as he crashed out on lap three while trying to fight his way back into the points. The 28-year-old had lost four...

Sepang MotoGP: Rossi storms to victory in Malaysia

Sepang MotoGP: Rossi storms to victory in Malaysia

2008 MotoGP Champion Valentino Rossi stormed to victory once again in Malaysia, leaving challenger Dani Pedrosa to settle for second on the podium. Rossi took his 9th victory of the season at the...

Sepang MotoGP: Bautista wins race but Simoncelli clinches title

Sepang MotoGP: Bautista wins race but Simoncelli clinches title

Alvaro Bautista won the 250 GP in Malaysia, but it was Simoncelli who claimed the big victory as a podium finish was enough to grant him the championship. Marco Simoncelli places third in the 250...

Sepang MotoGP Reaction: Bradley Smith talks punishing podium

Sepang MotoGP Reaction: Bradley Smith talks punishing podium

Bradley Smith produced a stunning surge from the fourth row of the grid to claim second in a punishing Sepang 125GP today. With air temperatures reaching close to 40 degrees, the British teenager kept...

Sepang MotoGP: Bradley claims his 4th podium of the season

Sepang MotoGP: Bradley claims his 4th podium of the season

British rider Bradley Smith finished second in he Malaysian 125 GP, putting him on the podium behind Gabor Talmacsi. World Champion Talmacsi claimed victory at the Malaysian circuit for the second...

Bridgestone confirmed as single tyre supplier

Bridgestone confirmed as single tyre supplier

As was first reported by MCN nearly a month ago, Bridgestone has been confirmed as the supplier for the MotoGP single tyre rule until at least the end of the 2011 campaign. The Japanese factory was...

Sepang MotoGP: Aoyama claims his first pole of the season

Sepang MotoGP: Aoyama claims his first pole of the season

Hiroshi Aoyama finished third in the second 250 qualifying session today, but his time from Friday remained untouched, earning him pole position for Sunday’s 250 GP. Aoyama is strong at the Sepang...

Casey Stoner vows to mount victory assault

Casey Stoner vows to mount victory assault

Former world champion Casey Stoner is confident he will be able to mount a victory charge in Malaysia tomorrow, despite missing the front row of the grid in Sepang today for the first time since the...

Hiroshi Aoyama stunned by KTM withdrawal

Hiroshi Aoyama stunned by KTM withdrawal

Japanese rider Hiroshi Aoyama has admitted his world championship future is hanging by a thread after he was rocked by the sudden and shock decision by KTM to quit the 250GP class at the end of the...

Jorge Lorenzo hopes for titanic battle

Jorge Lorenzo hopes for titanic battle

Spanish rookie Jorge Lorenzo believes tomorrow’s Malaysian GP at Sepang could be one of the best races of the season. Lap times in the dry have been super competitive, with 14 riders split by just one...

Valentino Rossi hails ‘brave’ Dani Pedrosa

Valentino Rossi hails ‘brave’ Dani Pedrosa

MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi hailed Dani Pedrosa’s performance in today’s rain-hit Sepang qualifying session as the Honda rider denied the Italian pole position. The Italian though a lap of...

Jorge Martinez confirms MotoGP move delay

Jorge Martinez confirms MotoGP move delay

As was exclusively revealed by MCN yesterday, Jorge Martinez has confirmed he has failed to successfully conclude lengthy negotiations with Kawasaki for a 2009 MotoGP deal. Kawasaki boss Michael...

Dani Pedrosa storms to debut Bridgestone pole

Dani Pedrosa storms to debut Bridgestone pole

Spaniard Dani Pedrosa stormed to his first pole position for Bridgestone in a dramatic conclusion to today’s Sepang qualifying session. The factory Honda rider saved his best for last when he stole...

Colin Edwards happy with second row

Colin Edwards happy with second row

Colin Edwards declared himself happy with a second row start for tomorrow’s Malaysian GP in Sepang. The American, who has been one of the most consistent and fastest riders in dry conditions, claimed...

James Toseland disappointed with 12th

James Toseland disappointed with 12th

British rider James Toseland expressed his disappointment at finishing outside of the top ten in today’s weather-hit qualifying session in Sepang. The Tech 3 Yamaha rider had to settle for 12th...

Sepang MotoGP: Pedrosa takes pole at Sepang

Sepang MotoGP: Pedrosa takes pole at Sepang

Dani Pedrosa has taken pole position for tomorrow’s Sepang GP clash after a hard fought qualifying session. Pedrosa stole pole from world champion Rossi at the very end of the session, giving the...

Sete Gibernau’s Ducati deal finalised

Sete Gibernau’s Ducati deal finalised

Sete Gibernau’s shock return to the MotoGP world championship will be confirmed on the eve of the final round in Valencia next week. The Onde 2000 team confirmed today in Sepang that an announcement...

Sepang MotoGP: Torrential rain keeps Danny Webb on 125GP front row

Sepang MotoGP: Torrential rain keeps Danny Webb on 125GP front row

Torrential rain that battered the Sepang circuit in Malaysia earlier today has left British teenager Danny Webb on the front row of the 125GP grid. Webb’s stunning performance yesterday when he...

Shane Byrne-out

Shane Byrne-out

Picture of Shane Byrne at Druids bend on the last race of the season, has to be one of the best pictures i took while i was there. What a race!

Kawasaki scrap third ZX-RR plan for 2009

Kawasaki scrap third ZX-RR plan for 2009

Kawasaki boss Michael Bartholemy has confirmed to MCN that the Japanese factory will not field a third ZX-RR machine in 2009. Get all the latest MotoGP news A proposed deal with current Aprilia 125...

Casey Stoner looking for big improvement

Casey Stoner looking for big improvement

Former world champion Casey Stoner had a troublesome start to the Malaysian GP in Sepang. Get the latest MotoGP news The Aussie, who celebrated his 23rd birthday yesterday, finished third on the...

Valentino Rossi content with second place

Valentino Rossi content with second place

MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi said he was content with his second place at the end of the first day of action in Sepang today. The Fiat Yamaha rider set a best time of 2.02.693 to finish just...

James Toseland frustrated in 13th

James Toseland frustrated in 13th

James Toseland’s return to the Sepang circuit where his MotoGP career began 11 months ago started in frustrating fashion today as the British rider ended the opening day of free practice for the...

Front-end change transforms Colin Edwards’ fortunes

Front-end change transforms Colin Edwards’ fortunes

Colin Edwards credited a front-end setting change for transforming his fortunes in Sepang today with the American topping the timesheets at the end of the opening day’s free practice. Get all the...

No decision on Rizla’s MotoGP future

No decision on Rizla’s MotoGP future

Rizla has yet to decide whether it will continue to back Suzuki’s factory MotoGP squad in 2009. Having recently announced it would quit backing Suzuki’s British superbike team after a seven-year...

Provisional 125GP front row for injured Danny Webb

Provisional 125GP front row for injured Danny Webb

British teenager Danny Webb shrugged off the pain of a badly damaged left little finger injury to claim a place on the provisional front row of the grid for Sunday’s Malaysia 125GP. Get all the...

Freak accident ends Spanish rookie’s season

Freak accident ends Spanish rookie’s season

Spanish rookie Marc Marquez has been ruled out for the final two races of the 2008 125GP campaign after he was involved in a freak accident during this morning’s opening free practice session in...

Team Stiggy signs Anthony West for 2009

Team Stiggy signs Anthony West for 2009

Team Stiggy Motorsport Honda have signed Australian rider Anthony West for 2009. The 27-year old will leave MotoGP at the end of the season to compete in the World Supersport Championship. Anthony is...

Nicky Hayden hits back at Alberto Puig attack

Nicky Hayden hits back at Alberto Puig attack

Nicky Hayden has hit back at fierce criticism from Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa’s manager Alberto Puig in Malaysia today. Outspoken Puig launched an incredible attack on Hayden last week,...

James Toseland made to wait for 2009 Yamaha debut

James Toseland made to wait for 2009 Yamaha debut

James Toseland will have to wait until the end of November at the earliest before he gets his first chance to assess Yamaha’s 2009 factory MotoGP machine. Toseland and Tech 3 Yamaha team-mate will not...

Casey Stoner eager to begin preparations for 2009

Casey Stoner eager to begin preparations for 2009

Former world champion Casey Stoner reckons he can’t wait to get the last two races out of the way to begin testing Ducati’s 2009 MotoGP contender in Valencia. The Aussie, who turned 23 today on the...

Storm worry for Valentino Rossi

Storm worry for Valentino Rossi

MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi has expressed concern that heavy storms might seriously disrupt this weekend’s Malaysian clash at the Sepang circuit. Rossi was speaking after a typical...

KTM quit 250GP class

KTM quit 250GP class

Austrian manufacturer KTM has confirmed it will withdraw from the 250GP world championship at the end of the 2008 campaign. In a statement released on the eve of this weekend’s Malaysia GP in Sepang,...

A few snaps from Brands

A few snaps from Brands

Here’s a few snaps of brands. Good luck to shakey and the boys on the world stage next season. Great weekend, all the riders we met are so down to earth and always ready for a chat.

Skakey's celebration

Skakey's celebration

Shakey’s celebratory burnout after taking the double at Brands Hatch