October
Cal Crutchlow’s WSB move sets back Gresini Moto2 project
06 October 2009 by
Italian race boss Fausto Gresini reckons Cal Crutchlow’s decision to partner James Toseland in Yamaha’s factory World Superbike team has set his Moto2 rider search back by two months. Crutchlow held...
Jorge Lorenzo: "I can win the title"
06 October 2009 by
Jorge Lorenzo has told MCN his hopes of inflicting a shock MotoGP title defeat on Fiat Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi are back on track after a tedious but precious win in Estoril last...
Valentino Rossi curious to see Ben Spies race in Valencia
06 October 2009 by
Reigning world champion Valentino Rossi says he’s curious at seeing the level of performance from Ben Spies when the American make his Yamaha MotoGP debut in Valencia next month. The Texan, who will...
Ben Spies to race number 11 in MotoGP
06 October 2009 by
Ben Spies will revert back to his favoured number 11 when he moves to the MotoGP world championship in 2010. Spies opted to run 19 in his rookie World Superbike campaign because factory BMW rider Troy...
Estoril MotoGP: Astronaut Jorge Lorenzo ‘over the moon’
05 October 2009 by
Dressed in astronaut leathers and helmet, it was hardly surprising that Jorge Lorenzo declared himself over the moon after he dominated yesterday’s Portuguese MotoGP race at Estoril. A superb...
Aleix Espargaro to land permanent Ducati deal?
05 October 2009 by
Spaniard Aleix Espargaro looks certain to be rewarded with a permanent Ducati MotoGP deal for 2010 after impressing as a replacement rider in Indianapolis and Misano earlier this season. Espargaro is...
Estoril MotoGP: Traction issue blunts Valentino Rossi’s challenge
05 October 2009 by
Rear traction issues cost Valentino Rossi his hopes of inching closer to a seventh MotoGP world title after he could only finish in a distant fourth in Estoril. The Italian was never in contention in...
Estoril MotoGP: Dani Pedrosa looking for Honda consistency
05 October 2009 by
Dani Pedrosa believes Honda’s factory RC212V machine must find a more consistent level of performance to be regularly challenging for victories in MotoGP. The Spaniard claimed his eighth podium finish...
Estoril MotoGP: Bradley Smith breaks Portugal jinx
05 October 2009 by
Bradley Smith ended his Estoril jinx with a brilliant third place finish in a dramatic Portuguese 125GP yesterday. After crashing out of last year’s race and never coming close to a top six finish at...
Hiroshi Aoyama secures 2010 MotoGP switch
04 October 2009 by
Hiroshi Aoyama, current leader of the 250GP world championship, will move to MotoGP in a new Honda team in 2010. The Japanese rider, who heads into the final three races of 2009 with a commanding...
Estoril MotoGP results: Lorenzo wins, Stoner takes second
04 October 2009 by
Team mates Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi started the race together but Lorenzo soon opened up a gap between the two riders. Rossi finished 23 seconds behind Lorenzo which left the Italian off the...
Estoril MotoGP: 125 Results - Bradley Smith third
04 October 2009 by
Championship leader Julián Simón crashed out of the race on the 16th lap leaving Pol Espargaró to take the race. Sandro Cortese took second place with Bradley Smith third. Results: 1 Pol ESPARGARO SPA...
Estoril MotoGP: Moto2 entry list unveiled
03 October 2009 by
The first Moto2 600cc world championship in 2010 could be contested by nearly 40 bikes after the final selection of teams invited into the new series was unveiled in Estoril today. Teams comprising a...
Estoril MotoGP: Valentino Rossi chasing grip
03 October 2009 by
Having solved braking stability issues that plagued Valentino Rossi in Estoril yesterday, the Italian blamed traction issues for costing him the chance of claiming his seventh pole position of the...
Estoril MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo to go for broke
03 October 2009 by
Jorge Lorenzo has vowed to go for broke in tomorrow’s Estoril MotoGP race to try and reduce Fiat Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi’s title advantage. Lorenzo ended his six race quest for a pole position with a brilliant performance in today’s qualifying session, the Spaniard clocking a best lap of 1.36.214 to claim his fifth pole of the season. With Rossi one place further back on the grid,...
Estoril MotoGP: Casey Stoner exceeds expectations
03 October 2009 by
Casey Stoner admitted his stunning front row start for tomorrow’s Estoril MotoGP race exceeded his expectations after he missed pole position by just 0.3s. The Aussie, who has missed the last three...
Estoril MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo takes Portugal pole
03 October 2009 by
Jorge Lorenzo romped to his fifth pole position of the season in Estoril today. The Spaniard, who won his first ever MotoGP race at the Estoril circuit in 2008, produced a brilliant qualifying...
Estoril MotoGP: Bradley Smith storms to front row
03 October 2009 by
British teenager Bradley Smith shrugged off a massive practice yesterday to surge to a brilliant front row start for the Portuguese 125GP. In bright and sunny conditions for this afternoon’s...
Ben Spies to race Valentino Rossi and James Toseland in Valencia
03 October 2009 by
Ben Spies will make a shock Yamaha MotoGP debut in the season’s final race in Valencia next month. MCN learned that Yamaha has submitted an entry application to Dorna and the International Race Teams...
Estoril MotoGP: Casey Stoner faster and fitter than expected
02 October 2009 by
Casey Stoner admitted he was faster and fitter than he expected as he ended his self-imposed exile in impressive fashion in Estoril today. Back on board his factory Ducati GP9 for the first time...
Chris Vermeulen signs Kawasaki World Superbike deal
02 October 2009 by
Aussie Chris Vermeulen has signed a two-year deal to ride for Kawasaki in the 2010 World Superbike championship. As was widely expected, the current factory Suzuki rider penned his deal in Estoril...
Estoril MotoGP: James Toseland satisfied with eighth
02 October 2009 by
James Toseland kicked off the last part of his MotoGP career with the eighth quickest time in Estoril this afternoon. Shrugging off the bitter disappointment at losing his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 ride...
Estoril MotoGP: Bradley Smith escapes injury after heavy practice spill
02 October 2009 by
Bradley Smith has been given a clean bill of health after a big high-side crash in opening practice for Sunday’s Estoril 125GP. Just under 15 minutes of the session remained when the 18-year-old was...
Estoril MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo tops MotoGP practice
02 October 2009 by
Jorge Lorenzo’s love affair with the Estoril circuit continued today after the Spaniard returned from the summer break with the fastest time in opening MotoGP practice. Lorenzo, who won his first...
Estoril MotoGP: Bradley Smith suffers big practice crash
02 October 2009 by
Bradley Smith suffered a massive high-side crash during opening 125GP practice in Estoril today. The British teenager had slipped down the rankings to tenth having earlier held third spot when he...
Estoril MotoGP: Rossi and Lorenzo to race in special livery
02 October 2009 by
Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo will sport a special one-off livery on their factory Yamaha YZR-M1 bikes in Estoril this weekend. The livery is designed by Centro Stile Fiat and Aldo Drudi to...
Valentino Rossi issues warning to Ben Spies
02 October 2009 by
Valentino Rossi believes Ben Spies can make a big impact in MotoGP in 2010 but warned the American star his hugely anticipated switch from World Superbikes will not be easy. Spies will quit World...
Colin Edwards deserves 2010 deal, says Tech 3 boss
02 October 2009 by
Colin Edwards thoroughly deserved his chance to stay in MotoGP in 2010. That’s the view of Tech 3 Yamaha boss Herve Poncharal after the Frenchman confirmed yesterday (Thursday) in Estoril that he will...
Bradley Smith to sacrifice 2010 Moto2 ambitions?
02 October 2009 by
Bradley Smith could be willing to sacrifice his Moto2 aspirations to ensure he remains with the influential Aspar squad in 2010. The Oxfordshire rider, who has won two races in a brilliant...
Ben Spies admits MotoGP switch decision was ‘difficult’
01 October 2009 by
Ben Spies has admitted his decision to quit World Superbikes and move to MotoGP was a ‘difficult’ one. Tech 3 Yamaha delighted to capture Ben Spies The 25-year-old Texan has agreed to join...
Tech 3 Yamaha boss praises James Toseland
01 October 2009 by
Tech 3 Yamaha boss Herve Poncharal has praised the efforts of James Toseland after it was confirmed in Estoril today that the British rider will be replaced by Ben Spies in 2010. Toseland will move...
Tech 3 Yamaha delighted to capture Ben Spies for 2010
01 October 2009 by
Monster Tech 3 Yamaha team boss Herve Poncharal has spoken of his delight at the signing of Ben Spies for 2010. Spies will make Tech 3 the Texan 2 team as he joins compatriot Colin Edwards on board a...