March

Nicky Hayden: Ducati in a big hole for Texas race

01 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden has conceded that Ducati will be in a ‘big hole’ when the inaugural Texas MotoGP race is staged at the spectacular Circuit of the Americas (COTA) next month. Ducati was the only factory team not to travel to the recent private test session at the new COTA track near Austin. Honda duo Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez took part in a three-day test, while Yamaha pair Valentino Rossi and...

Bradley Smith targets top six before end of 2013

01 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith reckons the initial target in his rookie MotoGP campaign will be to finish ahead of Ducati’s factory Desmosedici. But the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider hopes to be fighting for the top six before the end of his first season taking on the likes of Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo and Marc Marquez. The British rider finished behind GP13 duo Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden in the last two...

Yamaha expects title challenge from Marc Marquez

31 March 2013 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha expects Honda rookie Marc Marquez to mount a serious title challenge in his first MotoGP world championship campaign in 2013. The Repsol Honda rider has been the talk of winter testing after putting in some impressive performances on the factory RC213V, which included him setting the fastest time at the recent private Honda and Yamaha test in Austin, Texas. Marquez has repeatedly played...

Rossi’s Yamaha return perfect motivation for Lorenzo

31 March 2013 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi’s return to Yamaha for 2013 will provide perfect motivation to help Jorge Lorenzo successfully defend his crown and try to win the MotoGP world title for a third time. That’s the view of the Spaniard’s factory Yamaha team boss Wilco Zeelenberg, who has been an integral figure in Lorenzo’s two MotoGP titles in 2010 and 2012. Rossi and Lorenzo will renew their rivalry next weekend in...

Honda expects fierce but friendly fight between Pedrosa and Marquez

30 March 2013 by Matthew Birt

Honda is confident that the good relationship that exists between Dani Pedrosa and rookie Marc Marquez will not be soured by any potential battles on track in the 2013 MotoGP world championship. The...

Jorge Lorenzo boss: Hard to repeat 2012 consistency

29 March 2013 by Matthew Birt

Reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo’s factory Yamaha team boss Wilco Zeelenberg has admitted repeating the stunning consistency of 2012 will be a tough challenge for the Spaniard. Lorenzo clinched...

Michael Laverty talks MotoGP life

28 March 2013 by MCN

FreestyleXtreme recently caught up with sponsored athlete and PBM MotoGP rider Michael Laverty. Michael very kindly takes some time out before the first race at Qatar to talk about his hopes for the...

Andrea Dovizioso can lead Ducati revival in 2013

28 March 2013 by Matthew Birt

Andrea Dovizioso has the experience and talent to revive Ducati’s flagging fortunes in the MotoGP world championship. That’s the belief of the Italian’s former Monster Yamaha Tech 3 boss Herve...

Andrea Iannone: No big risk joining Ducati

28 March 2013 by Matthew Birt

Italian Andrea Iannone doesn’t believe his move to Ducati for his first MotoGP campaign in 2013 is a big risk. The 23-year-old has arrived at Ducati at a time when the Bologna factory is looking to...

Kevin Schwantz: Ben Spies can bounce back at Ducati

28 March 2013 by Matthew Birt

American legend Kevin Schwantz has backed fellow Texan Ben Spies to bounce back from a nightmare 2012 when the new MotoGP season kicks off in Qatar next weekend. The triple AMA Superbike champion...

LCR targets regular podium threat from Stefan Bradl

27 March 2013 by Matthew Birt

Bradl Italian MotoGP team boss Lucio Cecchinello says he expects Stefan Bradl to be a consistent podium threat in the 2013 MotoGP world championship. The 2011 Moto2 world champion is in his second...

Aggressive riding clampdown won't hurt MotoGP

27 March 2013 by Matthew Birt

A new penalty points system to clampdown on dangerous and aggressive riding across all three classes in the MotoGP world championship in 2013 won’t make the likes of Valentino Rossi or Cal Crutchlow...

Marc VDS poised for fresh MotoGP talks

27 March 2013 by Matthew Birt

Scott Redding’s Marc VDS Racing squad is poised to re-visit plans to move to the MotoGP class in 2014. The Belgian-based squad, which currently runs Redding and Mika Kallio in Moto2 and highly-rated...

Yamaha close to clinching engine lease deal for 2014

27 March 2013 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha has confirmed it is in the final stages of negotiations with Dorna to offer to supply YZR-M1 engines for a maximum of four riders in the 2014 MotoGP world championship. Although MCN understands...

Ex-Valentino Rossi boss keen on management return

27 March 2013 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi’s former factory Yamaha team boss Davide Brivio has spoken of his desire to return to MotoGP management, with the Italian locked in talks with Suzuki about leading the Japanese...

Bradley Smith motivated by Cal Crutchlow's form

26 March 2013 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith says Monster Yamaha Tech 3 teammate Cal Crutchlow’s impressive winter testing form is providing the perfect motivation for him to quickly improve in his rookie MotoGP campaign. Crutchlow...

Cal Crutchlow: My goal is to win Qatar by one minute!

26 March 2013 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow had good reason to crack jokes and be all smiles about his potential in the first MotoGP race of 2013 in Qatar next weekend after he topped the timesheets at the end of a rain-hit final...

Bradley Smith: I needed more seat time

26 March 2013 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith admits that his MotoGP debut in Qatar next month will be a daunting experience because bad weather has robbed him of priceless time on track to adapt to Yamaha’s YZR-M1 machine. The...

Valentino Rossi unlikely to race new chassis in Qatar

26 March 2013 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi is unlikely to race a new factory Yamaha YZR-M1 chassis in the season’s opening MotoGP round in Qatar next weekend. The Italian managed to evaluate the new frame at the end of the...

Valentino Rossi: Lorenzo was strongest in testing

26 March 2013 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi believes factory Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo was the strongest rider during the 2013 MotoGP pre-season campaign, despite only setting the fastest time in one of four winter...

TT chief offers stark warning to Irish road racing

26 March 2013 by Stephen Davison

‘I take no satisfaction in saying this because I’m a huge fan of Irish National road racing but as the man who is responsible for promoting the TT I wouldn’t lose any sleep over the future of our...

Cal Crutchlow fastest on final day of 2013 MotoGP testing

25 March 2013 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow ended the 2013 MotoGP pre-season in the best way possible after the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider topped the timesheets on the final day of testing in Jerez. The British rider set a best...

MotoGP plans to ban private testing

25 March 2013 by Matthew Birt

Private MotoGP test sessions like the one Honda and Yamaha recently took part in at the new Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Texas will be banned in the future. HRC arranged a private three-day...

Moto2 to keep Honda engine until end of 2015

25 March 2013 by Matthew Birt

The Moto2 world championship will continue to use a Honda engine based on its CBR600RR motor until the end of the 2015 season at least. MCN understands that an additional one-year extension has been agreed to keep the current format after an initial agreement was reached for 2013 and ’14 at the end of last season. Honda’s initial three-year contract to supply the single make 600cc four-stroke...

Valentino Rossi thrilled to be back on top in Jerez

24 March 2013 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi could barely contain his delight after he put a disastrous two-year stint at Ducati firmly behind him in Jerez today when he set the fastest time on a day of domination by Yamaha. Rossi went some way to showing he will be a title contender in 2013 after he logged a best time of 1.39.525 to edge out factory Yamaha teammate and reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo by just...

Bradley Smith learns from Valentino Rossi in Jerez

24 March 2013 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith grasped the opportunity to learn from nine-times world champion Valentino Rossi during the second day of MotoGP testing at the Jerez track in Spain. The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rookie followed the Italian legend for two laps this afternoon as the MotoGP field got the chance to test on a dry track following yesterday’s torrential rain. Smith ended up 12th on the timesheets today with a...

Cal Crutchlow plays down Jerez speed

24 March 2013 by Matthew Birt

British rider Cal Crutchlow played down his eye-catching performance on the second day of testing at the Jerez track in Spain today after he finished third quickest behind factory Yamaha duo Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo. After yesterday’s torrential rain the surface didn’t dry out until after 1pm today, but former World Supersport champion Crutchlow was immediately fast and found himself...

Valentino Rossi sets fastest pace in Jerez

24 March 2013 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi enjoyed his best day in MotoGP for some considerable time in Jerez today when the nine-times world champion set the fastest time on the second day of the final pre-season test. The 34-year-old Italian clocked a best time of 1.39.525 to finish just 0.015s ahead of factory Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo. Conditions on day two were significantly better after torrential rain dominated...

Jorge Lorenzo fastest at cold and wet Jerez

24 March 2013 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo topped the timesheets at the end of a cool, wet and windy start to the final pre-season MotoGP test in Jerez yesterday. Heavy rain and cold temperatures dominated the action but reigning world champion Lorenzo was able to set a best time of 1.47.423 on his factory Yamaha YZR-M1 to finish 1.051s clear of Repsol Honda rival Dani Pedrosa. Lorenzo completed just 39 laps with each rider...

Rossi and Lorenzo not surprised by Marquez’s winter pace

22 March 2013 by Matthew Birt

Factory Yamaha duo Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo have said they have not been surprised by Marc Marquez’s blistering speed during the pre-season testing campaign ahead of the Spaniard’s first 2013...

Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo expect better relationship in 2013

22 March 2013 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo have both said they expect their relationship to be much less tense than the last time they shared Yamaha’s factory MotoGP garage in 2010. When the pair raced...

Yamaha confirm new gearbox ‘under development’

22 March 2013 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha has confirmed it does have a new seamless shift gearbox under development in Japan, but gave no indication of when reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi will race it. There...

Yamaha unveils Rossi and Lorenzo’s 2013 livery

22 March 2013 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo have unveiled the new 2013 factory YZR-M1 on the eve of the final pre-season showdown in Jerez earlier today. The bike, which doesn’t have a title sponsor once again...

Valentino Rossi’s back, but where’s the money? Yamaha explains

21 March 2013 by Matthew Birt

When Yamaha launches its 2013 factory MotoGP world championship effort in Jerez tomorrow (Friday), Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo’s YZR-M1 machinery will once again be missing a title sponsor. The...

Scott Redding fifth in final Moto2 test

21 March 2013 by Matthew Birt

British rider Scott Redding ended the final winter test for the Moto2 world championship in fifth position at the Jerez track in Spain. With his testing schedule already completed at the end of day...

Danny Webb 12th, John McPhee 20th in Jerez test

21 March 2013 by Matthew Birt

The Moto3 world championship pre-season ended in gloriously sunny conditions at the Jerez track in Spain this afternoon with British duo Danny Webb and John McPhee both finishing inside the top 20. Kent rider Webb was 12th overall but his best time of 1.47.959 was set on the very first day. Webb didn’t even ride in the final half day of track time available today after he suffered a crash on a...