2002
Barros makes good on RCV in Motegi
01 October 2002
Alex Barros repaid Honda and team boss Sito Pons’ faith with a win in Motegi on his debut ride on the West Honda RCV four-stroke as Honda took a one-two-three in today’s MotoGP race. A tense race-long...
Katoh confirms Motegi pole
01 October 2002
Daijiro Katoh will start from pole position in Sunday’s Japanese round of the MotoGP championship after no-one challenged his time of 1.49.052, set during Friday’s qualifying, in Saturday’s...
Roberts re-signs with Suzuki
01 October 2002
Kenny Roberts has just inked a new contract that will keep him with the factory Suzuki MotoGP squad for the next two years. It comes on the back of his maiden podium in the new class, scored at the...
Barros gets RCV for Motegi GP
30 September 2002
Alex Barros has been confirmed as the beneficiary of the sole RCV four-stroke available to the West Honda squad for the rest of the 2002 MotoGP season. Barros said: ” I am very excited about my...
MotoGP’s musical chairs
23 September 2002
The silly season is well and truly upon us. As contract time approaches, Yamaha and Suzuki both feature in the latest tranche of rumour and manoeuvre. Norick Abe is said to be on the verge of quitting...
Rossi to test BAR F1 car
23 September 2002
Valentino Rossi is lined up to test an F1 car at the end of the year. The boss of British American Racing (BAR) David Richards has reached an agreement with the 23-year-old’s Repsol Honda squad to try...
McWilliams cracks collarbone in Rio
23 September 2002
While Valentino Rossi was popping champaign corks to celebrate his win in Rio and new MotoGp title, Jeremy McWilliams was popping painkillers after his bike seized, spitting the Ulsterman off,...
Max Biaggi signs for Honda
16 September 2002
Max Biaggi has just inked a three year deal to ride a Honda RCV V5-engined bike in MotoGP. Biaggi said: ” I was dreaming to race with Honda again and Pramac made my dream come true. ” ” I have...
Nakano and Jacque get M1s
16 September 2002
It’s just been announced that Olivier Jacque and his Tech 3 Yamaha teammate Shinya Nakano will get the four-stroke Yamaha M1 MotoGP machines from the Malaysian GP onwards. The Malaysian Grand Prix...
Rossi takes the title with a win in Rio
16 September 2002
He’s been 125cc world champion, he’s been 250cc world champion and he’s been the 500cc world champion. Now Valentino Rossi can add the maiden MotoGP crown to his trophy cabinet after winning a soaking...
Bayliss and Capirossi on Ducati GP bike
16 September 2002
It has just been revealed that Troy Bayliss will join forces with Loris Capirossi on the Ducati MotoGP machine in 2003. The two riders have signed two-year contracts to ride the new Desmosedici V4 in...
Don’t forget: Saturday is the Rio GP
16 September 2002
Free practice for the MotoGP class has just ended in Rio ahead of Saturday’s Grand Prix, and it’s Valentino Rossi topping the timing sheets. 1)V Rossi (1:52.359) 2)N Abe (1:52.712) 3)M Biaggi...
Biaggi claims provisional Rio pole
16 September 2002
Yamaha’s soon-to-be-ex rider Max Biaggi has slotted his Yamaha M1 on provisional pole at the Nelson Piquet Circuit in Rio ahead of Saturday’s Brazilian Grand Prix. His time of 1:51.854 pipped...
Estoril GP results
09 September 2002
Valentino Rossi won the Portuguese MotoGP round at Estoril today after runaway leader Suzuki’s Sete Giberanu crashed in torrential rain. MotoGP: 1)V Rossi 2)C Checa 3)K Roberts 4)A Barros 5)M Biaggi 250: 1)F Nieto 2)M Melandri 3)S Porto…7)L Haslam 125: 1)A Vincent 2)S Sanna 3)S Jenckner Rossi extends his lead over his Repsol Honda teammate Tohru Ukawa in second place to 89 points with four rounds...
Hayden will ride alongside Rossi
09 September 2002
Sources inside the MotoGP paddock are saying that reigning AMA Superbike champion Nicky Hayden has signed to ride a Honda RCV in 2003, possibly alongside Valentino Rossi in the Repsol/HRC...
Brits look forward to Estoril GP
02 September 2002
This weekend, September 7-8, sees the Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril, the scene of pre-season testing for most teams earlier in the year. And for most of the Brits taking part, it’s coming on the...
GP qualifying times from Estoril
02 September 2002
Alex Barros has snatched provisional pole from under the nose of Daijiro Kato, by just 7/1000ths of a second ahead of Sunday’s Portuguese GP at Estoril. The Brazilian rider has consistently been the...
Max power stops Honda in Brno
26 August 2002
Max Biaggi became the first man this season to break the Honda hegemony with his debut win of the MotoGP era at the Czech GP in Brno, today. He lead from pole, taking with him Valentino Rossi and...
Rossi tops Brno free practice
19 August 2002
Valentino Rossi topped this morning’s free practice ahead of Sunday’s Czech MotoGP. The Italian’s time of 2:00.943 was four tenths of a second faster than second place man Alex Barros around the...
Biaggi busts records for Brno pole
19 August 2002
Max Biaggi became the first man to crack the sub-two minute lap at Brno today to snare pole position in Sunday’s Czech MotoGP. His time of 1:59.646 was fractions faster than Daijiro Kato on the...
McWilliams claims provisional Brno sixth
19 August 2002
He may have been giving away almost 15mph to the top men, but that didn’t stop Jeremy McWilliams from claiming provisional sixth in MotoGP qualifying at Brno today. The Ulsterman lines up alongside...
Capirossi chooses wife, but not team
12 August 2002
Loris Capirossi is making the most of the break in the GP schedule this year. He officially married long time girlfriend Ingrid Tence at a civil service in Monte Carlo last month, but the couple will...
Ueda hopes for Brno return
12 August 2002
Nobby Ueda is hopeful he’ll be back to fitness in time for the Czech GP at Brno on August 25. The 35-year-old veteran of the 125cc class has been out since he injured his neck and hip crashing heavily...
Checa extends contract with Yamaha
01 August 2002
Carlos Checa has extended his contract with Yamaha to run for another two years. He will continue the ride the YZR-M1 that has taken him to fifth so far this season. The 29-year old Spaniard has raced...
Pere Riba aims for Brno return
01 August 2002
Pere Riba says his broken leg won’t be 100 per cent in time for the Czech GP at Brno on August 25, but he’s going to race anyway. Riba says; ” I’m feeling better and my condition is improving. I...
Rossi to compete in car Rally of Great Britain
15 July 2002
Valentino Rossi has confirmed he will be driving in the NetworkQ Rally of Great Britain, on November 14-17. He will be swapping his works Honda RC211V racebike for a Peugeot World Rally car, to...
Jacque claims pole in Germany
15 July 2002
Olivier Jacque pulled off the shock of the season so far by claiming the first pole position for a two-stroke this season in Germany today. The French rider crossed the line with just under 10 seconds...
Roberts to miss Germany, but Ryo rides again
15 July 2002
Kenny Roberts will miss the German Grand Prix in order to have surgery on his right arm. The operation is to cure the arm ” pump ” which has been a reason for his poor performances this season,...
Rossi makes it seven in a row
15 July 2002
Despite a poor start, Valentino Rossi claimed victory in Germany, making it seven wins in a row for the Italian. It was his Honda team-mate, Tohru Ukawa, who led the early stages of the race, until Alex Barros found his way past on lap seven, leading an eight-man fight for the lead. Barros was locked in a tussle with Frenchman Olivier Jacque, but both riders failed to finish. It was Max Biaggi who...
Katoh gets RC211V for Czech GP
15 July 2002
Daijiro Katoh will race a Honda RC211V four-stroke at the Czech Republic GP. Honda will enter a third bike for the reigning 250cc World Champion, who is a HRC contracted rider, currently being leased...
Marlboro and Yamaha part company
15 July 2002
Yamaha has announced the end of their sponsorship by cigarette brand Marlboro. The deal will cease at the end of 2002, after three years with Marlboro as the team’s main sponsor. It doesn’t look like...
MCN: Your British GP souvenir
15 July 2002
If you were one of the 60,000 there, if you wished you had been, if you watched it on TV, or missed everything, you need this week’s MCN, out on Wednesday, July 17. We’ve got a full 16 pages of...
Show your support for Jezza
08 July 2002
Jeremy McWilliams is Britain’s only rider in MotoGPs this season, and he’s hoping the fans at Donington will give him the same kind of support that has led to Brands World Superbikes turning into a...
British GP results: Rossi wins again
08 July 2002
Good weather and big crowds have marked this year’s British GP, but if you couldn’t make it, we’ve got all the results… MotoGP results: Valentino Rossi rode a textbook race to win at Donington,...
Capirossi to miss Donington GP
01 July 2002
Loris Capirossi will miss the British GP at MCN Donington Park on July 14 after crashing heavily at Assen on Saturday. For more on this story, don’t miss the latest issue of MCN, out Wednesday July...
Kawasaki’s MotoGP machine sharpens up
24 June 2002
These are the latest pictures of Kawasaki’s ZX-RR four-stroke Grand Prix bike and it shows how much the designers have drawn from Honda’s successful RCV design. You can read more on the Kawasaki...